The public's views on responsibility for medical errors in Kazakhstan

Introduction: Patients' attitudes toward medical errors (MEs) have been studied relatively extensively in developed countries around the world, but little is known about Central Asian countries, especially post-Soviet states. The growing importance of patient safety has raised concerns about who should be held accountable for MEs. Due to a lack of research, this issue is poorly understood in Kazakhstan. Materials and Methods: This study examines respondents' attitudes toward MEs based on whether they had this experience in Kazakhstan between 2019 and 2021. The statistical analysis of data on MEs was carried out for the whole country. Respondents were asked about the causes of and solutions to the problem of preventable medical errors, as well as what the consequences of MEs should be. Results: In total, 40.8% of the respondents confirmed that they had experienced problems with MEs. Nearly one-third of Kazakhstani adults agree that the lack of professional qualifications of health professionals is the root cause of MEs. Conclusions: Differences existed among the regions in the opinion of the public and indicators of the degree of responsibility for and response to MEs. Further study of the causes and attitudes of the public is warranted, which will help better understand the problem of MEs in Kazakhstan.