Description

Determination of whether or not an adverse event occurred.

On-Screen Instructions

Adverse event: an event resulting in unintended harm or creating the potential for harm that is related to any aspect of a patient’s care (by an act of commission or omission) rather than to the underlying disease or condition of the patient. Adverse events may or may not be preventable.

Field Type

Responses

• Yes

• No

Guide for Use

If you chose more than one event type, please select the highest applicable level of harm.

Additional Support

Determining if an adverse event occurred

When it comes time to assign a harm category to your adverse event report, sometimes it can be difficult to get over the hurdle of answering the first question: “Did an actual adverse event occur?”

The definition of “adverse event” varies among healthcare facilities and is often influenced by organizational or regulatory policies. Oregon’s Patient Safety Reporting Program defines adverse event as “an event resulting in unintended harm or creating the potential for harm that is related to any aspect of a patient’s care (by an act of commission or omission) rather than to the underlying disease or condition of the patient; adverse events may or may not be preventable.”

To determine whether or not an event in your facility meets the Oregon Patient Safety Commission’s definition of “adverse event,” use our Adverse Event Algorithm, which is based on the work of James Reason and concepts from the Just Culture movement.

Reference
Reason, J. (1997). Managing the Risks of Organizational Accidents. Ashgate Publishing Company.

History