Association Between Patient Race/Ethnicity, Health Literacy, Socio-Economic Status, and Incidence of Medication Errors: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Medication errors represent a significant source of healthcare-related harm, leading to mortality, morbidity, and substantial costs to health systems. Existing evidence highlights dissatisfaction and perceived discrimination experienced by patients from minority ethnic and disadvantage...

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Publicado en:Journal of Racial & Ethnic Health Disparities Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 2161 - 2173
Autores principales: Suen, Kelly, Shrestha, Sunil, Osman, Samira, Paudyal, Vibhu
Formato: research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Springer Nature Jun2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jun2026
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      pub: Springer Nature
      place: New York, New York
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        10.1007/s40615-025-02407-8
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        atl: Association Between Patient Race/Ethnicity, Health Literacy, Socio-Economic Status, and Incidence of Medication Errors: A Systematic Review.
      aug:
        au:
          Suen, Kelly
          Shrestha, Sunil
          Osman, Samira
          Paudyal, Vibhu
        affil: https://ror.org/03angcq70 School of Pharmacy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Birmingham, UK
      sug:
        subj:
          Medication Errors Epidemiology
          Medication Errors Risk Factors
          Ethnic Groups Psychosocial Factors
          Social Class
          Health Literacy
          Race Factors
          Hospitalization
          Home Health Care
          Risk Assessment
          Human
          Systematic Review
          Medline
          Embase
          Psycinfo
          Descriptive Statistics
          Checklists
          Odds Ratio
          Confidence Intervals
          Limited English Proficiency
          Overdose Risk Factors
          Healthcare Disparities
          Patient Safety
          Health Services Accessibility
          Home Environment
          United States
          Saudi Arabia
          Taiwan
          United Kingdom
          Low Socioeconomic Status
      ab: Introduction: Medication errors represent a significant source of healthcare-related harm, leading to mortality, morbidity, and substantial costs to health systems. Existing evidence highlights dissatisfaction and perceived discrimination experienced by patients from minority ethnic and disadvantaged backgrounds within healthcare settings. Objective: The study aimed to systematically review the literature on associations between patient race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, health literacy, and the incidence or patient experience of medication errors in healthcare and community (home) settings. Methods: A systematic review was conducted by searching an electronic database including EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. Studies published in English from January 2010 to October 2023, which explored the association between ethnicity, social disadvantage, and medication errors, were included. Results: Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria from an initial identification of 2075 titles. Findings indicated that minority ethnic patients were more susceptible to prescription errors, undertreatment, administration errors, and suboptimal medication monitoring and follow-up by healthcare providers. Patients with low health literacy and limited English proficiency were also significantly likely to experience comprehension errors and medication discrepancies. Furthermore, ethnicity and social disadvantages were also associated with an increased risk of overdosing in pediatric medication administration, particularly among parents using dosing cups. Conclusion: Minority ethnic background, low socio-economic status, and low health literacy can risk a higher likelihood of patients experiencing medication errors. Increasing awareness of these disparities among healthcare staff is essential for developing targeted interventions to mitigate inequalities in patient experiences and care outcomes in relation to medication use and safety. Future research should investigate the importance of intersectionality, such as multiple social disadvantages in this context.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        systematic review
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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