Evaluating patient safety: Analysis of adverse events in hospitals in Hidalgo

Abstract

This descriptive observational study analyzes adverse events in public hospitals in Hidalgo between 2013 and 2021. The main objective is to understand patient safety at the local level using data from the Adverse Event Recording System. Data from 1,830 surveys from 14 hospitals were collected, focusing on sociodemographic, clinical, and hospital service variables. The results indicate a higher prevalence of adverse events in women (59.78%) and in the age group of 21 to 30 years. The most common places of occurrence were Internal Medicine and Hospitalization, mainly during the morning shift. The most frequent incidents were medication-related, falls, and infections, with a majority classified as 'no harm'. Patient characteristics and the application of protocols were identified as factors most commonly present in adverse events. However, only 2.02% of the events underwent a root cause analysis. The study highlights the need to develop specific strategies for prevention and reporting, emphasizing continuous education of medical staff and the strengthening of hospital policies, and the consolidation of information on adverse events for future research.