Adverse Event Management Tool for Hospitals: A Game-Changer for Patient Safety

Abstract

As medical technology continues to advance, concerns about associated risks to both patients and healthcare providers arise. Ensuring high-quality healthcare delivery stands as a paramount objective for every healthcare institution. Among the essential attributes required to meet this goal is the safety of all stakeholders. Nevertheless, numerous instances arise wherein unintended incidents occur involving healthcare personnel during the delivery of patient care. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach incorporating interviews, observations, and statistical analysis to investigate the occurrence of adverse events related to medical equipment in hospitals. The findings reveal that, despite 84% of surveyed nursing personnel indicating no experience with adverse events caused by medical equipment, factors such as inadequate preventive maintenance, lack of training, budget constraints, and staff shortages support the need for the development of patient safety support tools, as all the aforementioned factors increase the likelihood of unintentional errors during patient care. Based on these findings, a tailored reporting tool was developed to streamline the documentation of equipment failures and adverse events within hospitals. Designed based on identified needs and characteristics, this tool aims to facilitate timely notification of critical events, especially those with the potential to impact patient safety.