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Introduction. The identification of the characteristics related to adverse events in hospital facilities helps to establish high impact preventive measures. The goal of this study is to describe the distribution of the most frequent adverse events by gender and age, as well as to identify the differences among the groups. Material and methods. From the System of Automated Record of Health Incidents (SIRAIS), a sample of 246 cases from public hospitals that contained wholesome information for the analysis by gender and age, were obtained. Results. The largest amount of incidents recorded were the ones related to clinical processes or procedures (35.37%), followed up by falls (22.76%). When comparing the distribution of the incidents among age groups an important statistic difference (x2 of Pearson = 27.69; p=0.001) was demonstrated, mainly due to a greater frequency in incidents related to therapeutic interventions in the elderly. There were no important differences identified by gender. Discussion. It is necessary to deepen the analysis with an economical and epidemiological and gender perspective, which will allow to identify with greater precision the factors that increase the probability of suffering an adverse event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article gives an outlook of notification and incident report systems, focusing on problems for the development and application thereof. The fundamental components of databases generated, phases for their implementation, their scope, limitations and motivation for doctor participation are analyzed. An ideal system is presented as one that records all incidents that cause harm to the patient or adverse events, such as those which do not cause harm or "near misses", since these are most frequent and practically reveal the same care system errors as are found in the former, the analysis of which can help in prevention. Therefore, if hospitals only collect information on adverse events, they will be losing the most valuable source of information for identifying patient safety priorities, as well as the chance to measure progress in solving problems that they are trying to correct. Confidentiality and ease of system use are important stimuli for reporting. Report systems must be linked to the safety programs of health institutions and solutions must be focused towards changing the cultural environment of these institutions. Additionally, they must support the process in order to find, control and correct deviations that determine safety incidents since it has been demonstrated that they do not only express active personnel failures but also, and in particular, care system failures. Notification and report systems are useful components in improving quality and patient safety in health services and must be used as part of hospital routine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notification and reporting systems collect information on incidents that occur in hospitals and other sites where medical care is provided. These systems, which entail other components of patient safety, are uneven and diverging, with different events entered. Differences in geographic location, language and culture have motivated the World Health Organization to develop the International Patient Safety Classification with the intention of facilitating the international reporting and exchange of information and comparison between institutions. This article describes how the strength thereof has been orientated towards learning and sharing information on the root causes and best practices for prevention, as well as towards the acknowledgment and transparent communication of adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Many hospitals internationally have introduced systems for reporting patient safety incidents. However, it has not been possible to use them suitably for learning purposes. Study's objective was to identify how patient safety incident types are distributed in reports made by 22 hospitals. Material and methods. 706 patient safety voluntary reports by 22 hospitals were reviewed by using the Automated Health Incidents System (known as SIRAIS by its Spanish initials) based on the WHO International Classification for Patient Safety. Results. A total of 781 patient safety incidents were notified, in 706 reports following this distribution: health-care associated infection 280 (35.9%), clinical process/ procedure 225 (28.8%), medication/IV fluids 98 (12.5%), falls 72 (9.2%) and other incidents 106 (13.6%). Conclusions. The WHO International Classification for Patient Safety is a useful instrument for identifying and recording patient safety incidents. Their incorporation into an automated system significantly facilitates the entry and recovery of information, generating information in a timely manner that enables decision making and improves the quality of health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]