Persistent impacts of medical error on patients and families (n=253)
| How long ago error occurred | |||
| Full sample | <1 year ago | 3–6 years ago | |
| n (%*) | n (%) | n (%) | |
| Emotional† | (n=253) | (n=60) | (n=123) |
| Still sad | 59 (23) | 16 (26) | 32 (26) |
| Still angry | 84 (33) | 26 (44)‡ | 33 (27) |
| Still anxious | 74 (29) | 20 (33) | 41 (33) |
| Still depressed | 54 (21) | 17 (29) | 25 (21) |
| Still feeling abandoned or betrayed by the doctors | 50 (20) | 11 (18) | 31 (26) |
| Reported at least one emotional impact | 142 (56) | 44 (74)‡ | 63 (51) |
| Physical | (n=220)§ | (n=48) | (n=107) |
| Physical health still impacted§ | 66 (30) | 20 (42) | 29 (27) |
| Healthcare avoidance¶**†† | ¶ | ** | †† |
| (n=213)¶ | (n=52)** | (n=102)†† | |
| Sometimes or always avoid doctor involved in error | 122 (57) | 26 (50) | 59 (57) |
| (n=219)¶ | (n=51)** | (n=106)†† | |
| Sometimes or always avoid facility involved in error | 123 (56) | 23 (45) | 60 (57) |
| (n=240)¶ | (n=58)** | (n=115)†† | |
| Sometimes or always avoid medical care in general | 91 (38) | 26 (45) | 42 (37) |
| Trust in healthcare | (n=251) | (n=59) | (n=121) |
| Less trusting of medical care now than before the error | 165 (66) | 40 (67) | 82 (67) |
*Percentages are adjusted by sampling weights to reflect the distribution of the adult population in Massachusetts.
†Respondents could report more than one emotional impact.
‡χ2 based on unweighted percentages is significant at p≤0.05.
§The sample size for physical health still impacted is n=220 because it excludes respondents who reported death.
¶The sample size for sometimes or always avoid doctor involved in error is n=213, sometimes or always avoiding facility involved in error is n=219 and sometimes or always avoiding general medical care is n=240 since not applicable (N/A) was an option on these questions.
**The sample size for respondents who experienced an error less than a year ago and sometimes or always avoiding the doctor involved in error is n=52, sometimes or always avoiding facility involved in error is n=51 and sometimes or always avoiding general medical care is n=58 since N/A was an option on these questions.
††The sample size for respondents who experienced an error 3–6 years ago and sometimes or always avoiding the doctor involved in the error is n=102, sometimes or always avoiding facility involved in error is n=106 and sometimes or always avoiding general medical care is n=115 since N/A was an option on these questions.