title: [Analysis of patient complaints in Primary Care: An opportunity to improve clinical safety].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and type of the clinical safety problems contained in the complaints made by patients and users in Primary Care.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted by analysing both the complaint forms and the responses given to them in the period of one year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At least 4.6% of all claims analysed in this study contained clinical safety problems. The family physician is the professional who received the majority of the complaints (53.6%), and the main reason was the problems related to diagnosis (43%), mainly the delay in diagnosis. Other variables analysed were the severity of adverse events experienced by patients (in 68% of cases the patient suffered some harm), the subsequent impact on patient care, which was affected in 39% of cases (7% of cases even requiring hospital admission), and the level of preventability of adverse events (96% avoidable) described in the claims. Finally the type of response issued to each complaint was analysed, being purely bureaucratic in 64% of all cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Complaints are a valuable source of information about the deficiencies identified by patients and healthcare users. There is considerable scope for improvement in the analysis and management of claims in general, and those containing clinical safety issues in particular. To date, in our area, there is a lack of appropriate procedures for processing these claims. Likewise, we believe that other pathways or channels should be opened to enable communication by patients and healthcare users.
authors.affiliation: Médico de Familia, Centro de Salud Landako, Osakidetza-Servicio Vasco de Salud, Durango, Vizcaya, España. Electronic address: rosamaria.anelrodriguez@osakidetza.net.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Añel-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Enfermera, Centro de Salud Orduña (Aiala), Osakidetza-Servicio Vasco de Salud, Orduña, Vizcaya, España.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Cambero-Serrano
authors.affiliation: Médico de Familia, Servicio de Atención Urgente Extrahospitalaria, Centro de Salud Basauri-Ariz, Osakidetza-Servicio Vasco de Salud, Basauri, Vizcaya, España.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Irurzun-Zuazabal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D000069451:Long Term Adverse Effects; D019300:Medical Errors; D005791:Patient Care; D061214:Patient Safety; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010372:Pediatrics; D011320:Primary Health Care; D058996:Quality Improvement; D013030:Spain
keywords: Atención Primaria de Salud; Calidad de la atención sanitaria; Claims; Patient safety; Primary Health Care; Quality of health care; Reclamaciones; Seguridad del paciente