The missing evidence: a systematic review of patients' experiences of adverse events in health care

Abstract

Despite the emergence of policy initiatives to enhance patient engagement, few studies report patients' experiences of AEs. This information must be routinely captured and utilized to develop effective, patient-centred and system-wide policies to minimize and manage AEs.

Patients' reports of adverse events: a data linkage study of Australian adults aged 45 years and over

“…Other studies of patients-reported AEs highlight the wider scope in definition of an AE by patients often linked to the concept of harm 29. The narrow definition of an AE, while helpful for health services in terms of AE surveillance, potentially ignores some of the most pertinent issues surrounding AEs for patients.…”

“…Patient satisfaction surveys usually include rating questions about how satisfied patients feel about their care as a ‘customer’ of the service rather than asking them ‘what happened?’ 8. Berwick notes that needed service improvements can only be deduced from specific data about the nature of events as they occur; customer satisfaction ratings do not provide the in-depth evidence required 9…”

“…While patients may take a broader view of AEs than health providers,10–12 studies comparing patient accounts of medical errors to hospital records show that patients can accurately identify AEs8 and that many patient-identified events are additional to those recorded or reported in systems for capturing AEs 12–14. A voluntary online survey involving 696 self-selected patients who experienced an AE, showed harm was mostly associated with diagnostic and therapeutic errors, surgical and procedural complications, hospital-associated infections and medication errors 15.…”

In this issue: An innovative discipline needs a patient focus

“…Notwithstanding the structures already put in place to promote patient engagement with NHS hospitals, it is disappointing how little patient involvement there appears to be in the development of ePrescribing 5. Particularly as a systematic review suggests, patients do not have the opportunity to report their experience of adverse events 6. Continuing the prescribing theme, Brennan et al report how ePresribing adoption in primary care is more likely in those countries that have a state-run registration-based primary care system such as those found in the Nordic countries and the UK 7.…”

Readmissão por infecção do sítio cirúrgico ortopédico: um enfoque fenomenológico

“…A revisão sistemática da literatura sobre a experiência dos pacientes vítimas de eventos adversos, conduzida por pesquisadores australianos, aponta o desconforto após a ocorrência, exacerbado por não receber ou receber informações inadequadas sobre os fatos e suas causas. Assim, os autores recomendam que mais estudos sejam conduzidos e que as experiências embasem a assistência centrada no indivíduo (Harrison et al, 2015).…”