Reducing Adverse Events in Australian Hospitals
Author Information
Author(s): Jeff Richardson, John McKie
Primary Institution: Centre for Health Economics, Monash University
Hypothesis
Can a modified Delphi technique identify effective options for reducing adverse events in hospitals?
Conclusion
There are viable options for reducing adverse events in hospitals that remain unexploited despite the known magnitude of the problem.
Supporting Evidence
- The study identified 41 options for reducing adverse events with an average expected impact time of 3.5 years.
- Hospital regulation was found to have the least delay in implementation at 2.4 years.
- Experts rated the potential effect of mandatory reporting of adverse events as high.
Takeaway
The study asked experts how to make hospitals safer and found many good ideas that could help reduce mistakes and harm to patients.
Methodology
The study used a modified Delphi technique to gather and refine suggestions from a panel of experts on reducing adverse events.
Potential Biases
The study may be biased due to the limited range of surveyed experts and the subjective nature of the proposed timelines.
Limitations
The response rate was low, and the suggestions were general rather than detailed.
Participant Demographics
Participants included health professionals with expertise in quality control, clinical governance, and risk management.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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