Descriptive statistics of respondents reporting experience with a medical error and medical error characteristics
| Demographics | n (%) |
| Gender (n=253)* | |
| Male | 109 (43) |
| Female | 144 (57) |
| Education (n=237) | |
| Less than high school | 27 (11) |
| High school | 55 (23) |
| Associates degree or some college | 69 (29) |
| College graduate | 47 (20) |
| Postgraduate | 39 (17) |
| Race/ethnicity (n=248) | |
| Non-Hispanic white | 203 (82) |
| Non-Hispanic black | 12 (5) |
| Non-Hispanic other | 15 (6) |
| Hispanic | 18 (7) |
| Income (n=236) | |
| <139% federal poverty level | 52 (22) |
| ≥139% to <300% federal poverty level | 52 (22) |
| ≥300% to <400% federal poverty level | 20 (8) |
| ≥400% federal poverty level | 112 (47) |
| Characteristics of medical error | |
| Who experienced the error (n=251) | |
| Self | 83 (33) |
| Spouse or child | 66 (26) |
| Other | 102 (41) |
| Responsible for medical care of individual who experienced the error (n=251) | |
| Yes† | 128 (51) |
| No | 123 (49) |
| When medical error occurred (n=252) | |
| <1 year ago | 60 (24) |
| 1–2 years ago | 70 (27) |
| 3–6 years ago | 122 (49) |
| Where medical error occurred (n=253) | |
| Hospital (not ER) | 103 (41) |
| Ambulatory care/doctor’s office | 68 (27) |
| ER | 39 (15) |
| Other (long-term care; pharmacy, dentist) | 43 (17) |
*Numbers and percentages are adjusted by sampling weights to reflect the distribution of the adult population in Massachusetts.
†Includes respondents who reported they personally experienced the error.
ER, emergency room.