Why the distribution of medical errors matters

• This article questions whether we are analyzing the distribution of medical errors correctly.
• If we are not, we may have an explanation for why medical errors are refractory to intervention (because we are applying the wrong model).
• The current literature does not have enough quality date to determine if medical errors are distributed according to a power rule or a Gaussian function.
• Accordingly, this article is a call for further research.

During the last decade, interventions to reduce the number of medical errors have been largely ineffective. Although it is widely assumed that medical errors follow a Gaussian distribution, they may actually follow a Power Rule distribution. This article presents the evidence in favor of a Power Rule distribution for medical errors and then examines the consequences of such a distribution for medical errors. As the distribution of medical errors has real-world implications, further research is needed to determine whether medical errors follow a Gaussian or Power Rule distribution.