Complications in Interventional Radiology: the role of clinical governance and iterative hospital systems in quality improvement

As modern Interventional Radiology (IR) evolves, and expands in scope and complexity, it will push the boundaries of existing literature. However, with all intervention comes risk and it is the shared judgement of the risk–benefit analysis which underpins the ethical and legal principles of care in IR. Complications in medicine are common, said to occur in 9.2% of in-hospital healthcare interactions. Healthcare complications also come at considerable cost. It is estimated that in the UK, prolonging hospital stays to manage complications can cost ₤2 billion per year. However, complications can’t be viewed in isolation. Clinical governance is the umbrella within which complications are viewed. It can be defined as a broadly integrated and systematic approach to clinical care and accountability, that seeks to focus on quality of healthcare. This concept incorporates complications but acknowledges their interplay within a complex healthcare system in which negative adverse events are influenced by a range of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. It also includes the processes that result from monitoring and learning from complications, with feedback leading to systems-based improvements in care moving forward. The reality is that complications are uncommonly the result of medical negligence, but rather they are an unfortunate by-product of a healthcare industry with inherent risk. It is also important to remember that complications are not just a number on an audit sheet, but a potentially life-changing event for every patient that is affected. The events that follow immediately from an adverse outcome such as open disclosure are vital, and have implications for how that patient experiences healthcare and trusts healthcare professionals for the rest of their life. We must ensure that the patient and their family maintain trust in healthcare professionals into the future. Credentialling and accreditation are imperative for Interventional Radiologists to meet existing standards as well deal with challenging situations. These should integrate and align within the structure of an organization that has a safety and learning culture. It is the many layers of organisational clinical governance that arguably play the most important role in IR-related complications, rather than apportioning blame to an individual IR.