Adverse events among medical patients after discharge from hospital.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Adverse events (AEs) are adverse outcomes caused by medical care. Several studies have indicated that a substantial number of patients experience AEs before or during hospitalization. However, few data describe AEs after hospital discharge. We determined the incidence, severity, preventability and ameliorability of AEs in patients discharged from the general internal medicine service of a Canadian hospital.

Methods

At a multisite Canadian teaching hospital, we prospectively studied patients who were consecutively discharged home or to a seniors' residence from the general internal medicine service during a 14-week interval in 2002. We used telephone interview and chart review to identify outcomes after discharge. Two physicians independently reviewed each outcome

SUBMITTER: Forster AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC331384 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature