title: Medicolegal Death Investigation and Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Outcomes: A Naturally Synergistic Collaboration.
abstract: The role of medicolegal death investigation (MLDI) systems in the assessment of violent deaths (e.g., gunshots, stab wounds, car crashes) is well known. However, the role of MLDI systems in informing healthcare agencies about potential patient safety and quality improvement activities is less understood and thus the main focus of this article. In this article we describes-one agency's initiatives to identify decedents whose circumstances or cause of death had potential relevance for patient safety and quality outcomes and to communicate those findings to acute care hospitals where the decedents were previously treated. We also describes the evaluation of this communication process and provide preliminary outcomes of these efforts.
authors: Author Affiliations: 1School of Nursing, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; and 2Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
authors: Stacy A
authors: SA
authors: Drake
authors: Sherhonda
authors: S
authors: Harper
authors: Dwayne A
authors: DA
authors: Wolf
mesh_terms: D003334:Coroners and Medical Examiners; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D019300:Medical Errors; D061214:Patient Safety; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012308:Risk Management; D013405:Suicide; D013781:Texas