CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne
The most recent articles from:
CMAJ
-
Adverse events are poor patient outcomes that are due to medical care. Studies of hospital patients have demonstrated that adverse events are common, but few data describe the timing of them in relation to hospital admission. We evaluated characteristics of adverse events affecting patients admitted to a Canadian teaching hospital, paying particular attention to timing. ⋯ Adverse events were common in this study. However, only one-third were deemed avoidable, and most occurred before the hospitalization. Interventions to improve safety must address ambulatory care as well as hospital-based care.