A systematic approach to the identification and classification of near-miss events on labor and delivery in a large, national health care system.
We describe a systematic approach to the identification and classification of near-miss events on labor and delivery in a large, national health care system. Voluntary reports of near-miss events were prospectively collected during 2010 in 203,708 deliveries. These reports were analyzed according to frequency and potential severity. Near-miss events were reported in 0.69% of deliveries. Medication and patient identification errors were the most common near-miss events. However, existing barriers were found to be highly effective in preventing such errors from reaching the patient. Errors with the greatest potential for causing harm involved physician response and decision making. Fewer and less effective existing barriers between these errors and potential patient harm were identified. Use of a comprehensive system for identification of near-miss events on labor and delivery units have proven useful in allowing us to focus patient safety efforts on areas of greatest need.
Hospital Corporation of America, Nashville, TN, USA. .
Steven L
SL
Clark
Janet A
JA
Meyers
Donna R
DR
Frye
Kathryn
K
McManus
Jonathan B
JB
Perlin
D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009775:Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Hospital; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014481:United States