Understanding error culture in veterinary medicine: a survey among veterinarians across German-speaking countries

Introduction: Errors are assumed to occur frequently in veterinary practice and may affect animal health, client trust, and the well-being of veterinary staff. Their handling is shaped by the prevailing error culture within practices and institutions. While error culture has been investigated in human medicine and extensively in other high-risk fields such as aviation, little is known about how it is perceived within veterinary medicine. Methods: This study therefore examined practising veterinarians' perceptions of errors, contributing factors, reporting practices, and institutional responses. An anonymous online questionnaire, adapted from a British pilot study and expanded to 29 items, collected demographic data, experiences with errors, contributing factors, and institutional structures. Three perspectives were captured: self-reported errors, errors reported to supervisors, and errors observed within the team. Results: = 821, 75%). Only 40 respondents (4%) reported the presence of anonymous reporting systems, whereas 392 respondents (36%) reported dedicated team meetings. Discussion: Overall, although errors are common, the organizational conditions required for systematic identification, communication, and learning are lacking in many settings.