Medical procedures from a simple injection to complex surgery may be accompanied with errors(1). Medical errors are the eighth leading cause of death after accidents, cancer, and AIDS in the world(2).Each year, more than one million people in America suffer from medical errors, and these errors cause 44,000 to 98,000 deaths (3) .Due to the load of clinical services done by medical interns and residents, their errors can cause harm to patients so their viewpoint toward error disclosure has particular importance.

This research was a cross sectional study. All medical interns and residents were selected through census method. Data were collected using a questionnaire containing demographic data and questions about the experience of medical errors, results of medical errors, reasons for concerns about disclosure of medical errors and questions about student viewpoint toward error disclosure. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed and its reliability determined using Cronbach’s alpha 0.8. Mean and standard deviation of viewpoint score was calculated and compared by independent T test.

Two hundred seventy three questionnaires were completed. The mean and standard deviation of participants' viewpoint score was 57.70 ±17.20. There was no significant difference between the mean scores of interns and residents and also between males and females.

Experience of medical error is common among medical interns and residents. Education systems should enhance the competency of interns and residents to prevent the occurrence of any error as well as development of a positive attitude to help them to deal with medical error

 Medical error is common in clinical setting.

We are grateful to  Kerman university of  medical sciences supported this study and all the interns and residents who returned completed questionnaires

1. Dabbagh A, Akbari ME, M. F. Medical errors in health system. J Army Univ MedSci IR Iran 2006;4(3):957-66 [Persian].
2. Bagherian Mahmoodabad H, Setareh Mehrdad, Nejadnick Mandana, Niknamian M, A. A. The Frequency and Reasons of Medical Errors in Cases Referred to Isfahan Legal Medicine Center. Health Information Management 2012;9(1):101-9.[Persian]
3.             Weingart S N, Wilson R M, Gibberd R W, Harrison B. Epidemiology of medical error.  BMJ 2000;320:774-77.