Variable | Rate ratio | 95% CI | P value |
Legal/procedural errors | |||
Interruptions while prescribing (any vs none) | 1.08 | 0.77 to 1.51 | 0.66 |
Multitasking while prescribing (any vs none) | 1.86 | 1.35 to 2.56 | <0.001 |
Doctor’s seniority* | |||
Consultant (reference) | 1 | ||
Registrar | 1.27 | 0.92 to 1.75 | 0.14 |
Senior resident medical officer | 0.53 | 0.37 to 0.75 | <0.001 |
Resident medical officer | 0.71 | 0.45 to 1.12 | 0.145 |
Doctor’s OSPAN score | 0.98† | 0.97 to 0.99 | <0.001 |
Doctor’s sleep during previous night | |||
Above average | 0.89 | 0.66 to 1.22 | 0.48 |
Average (reference) | 1 | ||
Below average | 1.33 | 0.76 to 2.30 | 0.32 |
Clinical errors | |||
Interruptions while prescribing (any vs none) | 2.82 | 1.23 to 6.49 | 0.015 |
Multitasking while prescribing (any vs none) | 1.91 | 0.79 to 4.65 | 0.154 |
Patient’s age | 1.05‡ | 1.02 to 1.08 | <0.001 |
Doctor’s seniority | |||
Consultant (reference) | 1 | ||
Registrar | 18.58 | 2.82 to 122.56 | 0.002 |
Senior resident medical officer | 24.62 | 1.62 to 374.09 | 0.021 |
Resident medical officer | 55.86 | 4.10 to 760.82 | 0.003 |
Doctor’s age | 1.07‡ | 1.00 to 1.15 | 0.058 |
Doctor’s OSPAN score | 0.98† | 0.97 to 0.99 | 0.002 |
Doctor’s sleep during previous night | |||
Above average | 1.96 | 0.78 to 4.91 | 0.153 |
Average (reference) | 1 | ||
Below average | 16.44 | 4.84 to 55.81 | <0.001 |
*In Australia, specialty training commences at registrar level. Resident medical officers have 1–2 years postgraduate experience; senior resident medical officers 2–3 years postgraduate; registrars>3 years postgraduate and are engaged in specialty emergency medicine training; and staff specialists or consultants have >5 years postgraduate experience, as well as completion of specialty emergency medicine training.
†Change in error rate per one-point increase in OSPAN score.
‡Change in error rate per 1-year increase in age.