After being read a common definition of medical errors, about one-third of Americans (34%) report that they have been personally involved in a situation where a preventable medical error was made in their own care or that of a family member. On a comparison survey of physicians in 2002, a similar share (35%) report that they have been personally involved in a situation where a preventable medical error was made in their own care or that of a family member.

One might be concerned about the potential for over-reporting of medical errors among the public. However, the fact that the public’s and physicians’ reported experiences are nearly identical is reassuring, since physicians are likely to be in a more informed position to evaluate the care that they or their family members have received.