The Korea National Patient Safety Incidents Inquiry Survey: Characteristics of Adverse Events Identified Through Medical Records Review in Regional Public Hospitals

OBJECTIVES: In 2019, the Korean National Patient Safety Incidents Inquiry was conducted in the Republic of Korea to identify the national-level incidence of adverse events. This study determined the incidence and detailed the characteristics of adverse events at 15 regional public hospitals in the Republic of Korea. METHODS: Medical records data of 500 randomly selected patients (discharged in 2016) were extracted from each of the 15 studied hospitals and reviewed in 3 stages. First, for each hospital, 2 nurses independently reviewed the medical records, using 41 screening criteria. Second, 2 physicians independently reviewed the records of those patients with at least 1 screening criterion from the first stage for adverse events occurrence and their characteristics. Third, a 9-member committee conducted a final review and compiled the final adverse event report. RESULTS: Among 7500 patients, 4159 (55.5%) had at least 1 screening criterion; 745 (9.9%) experienced 901 adverse events (incidence, 12.0%). By type of institution, adverse event incidence varied widely from 1.2% to 45.6%. In 1032 adverse events, the majority (33.5%) were “patient care–related.” By severity, the majority (638; 70.8%) were temporary, requiring intervention, whereas 38 (4.2%) resulted in death. The preventability score was high for “patient care–related” and “diagnosis-related” adverse events. Duration of hospitalization was extended for 463 (44.9%) adverse events, with “diagnosis-related” (30.8%) and “surgery/procedural-related” (30.1%) types extended by at least 21 days. CONCLUSIONS: A review of medical records aids in identifying adverse events in medical institutions with varying characteristics, thus helping prioritize interventions to reduce their incidence.