Table 3.

Model estimates of factors associated with prescribing errors

Variable	Rate ratio	95% CI	P value
Legal/procedural errors
Interruptions while prescribing (any vs none)	1.08	0.77 to 1.51	0.66
Multitasking while prescribing (any vs none)	1.86	1.35 to 2.56	<0.001
Doctor’s seniority*
Consultant (reference)	1
Registrar	1.27	0.92 to 1.75	0.14
Senior resident medical officer	0.53	0.37 to 0.75	<0.001
Resident medical officer	0.71	0.45 to 1.12	0.145
Doctor’s OSPAN score	0.98†	0.97 to 0.99	<0.001
Doctor’s sleep during previous night
Above average	0.89	0.66 to 1.22	0.48
Average (reference)	1
Below average	1.33	0.76 to 2.30	0.32
Clinical errors
Interruptions while prescribing (any vs none)	2.82	1.23 to 6.49	0.015
Multitasking while prescribing (any vs none)	1.91	0.79 to 4.65	0.154
Patient’s age	1.05‡	1.02 to 1.08	<0.001
Doctor’s seniority
Consultant (reference)	1
Registrar	18.58	2.82 to 122.56	0.002
Senior resident medical officer	24.62	1.62 to 374.09	0.021
Resident medical officer	55.86	4.10 to 760.82	0.003
Doctor’s age	1.07‡	1.00 to 1.15	0.058
Doctor’s OSPAN score	0.98†	0.97 to 0.99	0.002
Doctor’s sleep during previous night
Above average	1.96	0.78 to 4.91	0.153
Average (reference)	1
Below average	16.44	4.84 to 55.81	<0.001

*In Australia, specialty training commences at registrar level. Resident medical officers have 1–2 years postgraduate experience; senior resident medical officers 2–3 years postgraduate; registrars>3 years postgraduate and are engaged in specialty emergency medicine training; and staff specialists or consultants have >5 years postgraduate experience, as well as completion of specialty emergency medicine training.

†Change in error rate per one-point increase in OSPAN score.

‡Change in error rate per 1-year increase in age.