Adverse events in health care: a literature review |
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Authors: | ANNE-MARIE BRADY BSN MS PG Dip. Clinical Health Sciences Ed RGN RNT RICHARD REDMOND MEd PhD RPN RNID RNT FFNMRCSI ELIZABETH CURTIS PhD MEd DMS Dip. Research Methods RGN ONC SANDRA FLEMING MSc Cert. Ed RNID RPN RGN RCT RNT PAUL KEENAN MSc BSc PGCE Dip. HE NP Dip. RS RNID ANNE-MARIE MALONE MBA BNS RNT RCN RGN RM FINTAN SHEERIN PhD BNS PG Dip. Ed RNID RGN RNT |
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Affiliation: | Lecturer, School of Nursing &Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland |
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Abstract: | Aim This paper aims to develop understanding of the nature, costs and strategies to reduce or prevent a range of adverse events experienced by people within the healthcare system. Background Care interventions are not always based on safe practice and adverse events can and do occur that cause or place at risk patients lives and well-being. The nature of adverse events is diverse and can be attributed to a multitude of individual and system contributory factors and causes. Evaluation A review of the literature was undertaken in 2006 and 2007 using the following databases: Pubmed, CINAHL, Biomed Ovid, Synergy and the British Nursing Index. This paper evaluates the literature that pertains to adverse events and seeks understanding of this complex issue. Key issues Published statistics confirm that globally, professional errors in clinical practice and care delivery occur at an unacceptably high level and result in considerable human and financial consequences. Conclusion Reaching understanding of the multiple factors that contribute to unsafe clinical practice situations requires a cultural shift in organizations. Implication for Nursing Management Reasons for adverse events are complex and require healthcare managers to evaluate the system issues which impact on the delivery and organization of care. |
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Keywords: | adverse events medical error patient safety quality |
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