title: No-fault compensation for treatment injuries in Danish public hospitals 2006-12.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to determine the incidence rate and time trend of approved treatment injuries in Danish public hospitals from 2006 to 2012 and also to identify independent predictors of severe treatment injuries among patient and system factors and characterize the injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a nationwide, historical observational study on data from the Danish Patient Compensation Association, which receives all compensation claims from Danish health care. All approved closed claims of treatment injuries occurring in public hospitals 2006-12 were included. Health care activity information was obtained through Statistics Denmark.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incidence rates were determined as treatment injuries per year by population and by public hospital contacts. By using a multivariable logistic regression model, we calculated mutually adjusted odds ratios to assess the association between potential predictors and severe injuries among approved claims.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 10,959 approved treatment injury claims in 2006-12. The total payout was USD 339 million. The mean incidence rate medians were 27.9 injuries/100,000 inhabitants/year and 0.21 injuries/1000 public hospital contacts/year. These did not increase overtime. Severe injuries and preventable cases comprised 11.0 and 41.0%, respectively. Predictors of severe injury included age 0 and above 40 years, male gender and higher level of comorbidity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence rate of approved closed claims at Danish public hospitals appears stable. A high proportion of injuries are preventable and both patient- and system-related factors may predict severe injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tilma
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Mette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nørgaard
authors.affiliation: The Danish Patient Compensation Association, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kim Lyngby
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Mikkelsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Søren Paaske
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Johnsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D035881:Compensation and Redress; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061214:Patient Safety; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Denmark; clinical epidemiology; no-fault compensation; patient safety; public health care; registries; treatment injuries