ABSTRACT
General Concepts A key question is, What causes medical error? The answer may not be as simple as anticipated. It may be complex and difficult to understand unless there is comprehension of certain basic concepts, such as those described in this chapter. What causes medical error may depend on the technique used to determine causation, the context in which causation operates, and the special disciplinary knowledge and perceptions of those involved in an inquiry. In addition to causation, there are other basic concepts that should be fully comprehended before reading and digesting the information contained in other chapters The concepts help explain the subject matter as interpreted and described in this book and the caveats on various topics found throughout the text. These include bias, standard of care, transparency, harmonization, and management of error.
