Measuring medical errors and adverse events in a hospital using global trigger tool

Background: Medical errors are those mistakes committed by healthcare professionals due to wrong execution of a planned healthcare action or execution of a wrong healthcare action plan whether or not it is harmful to the patient. Medical errors may cause patients to suffer and have huge financial costs for the healthcare system. Identifying and measuring medical errors and adverse events are essential for improving patient safety. The objectives of this research were to measure medical errors and adverse events rates, to identify their severity and also analyze their underlying causes in a general educational hospital in Tehran, Iran by using The Global Trigger Tool. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective approach was used in this study. The medical records of 377 hospitalized patients between April 2015 and March 2016 were examined using simple random sampling method. Patient’s records were reviewed by a nurse using The Global Trigger Tool. Then, a physician authenticated the findings of the adverse events and rated their severity. The causes of adverse events were identified using brain storming and Ishikawa Cause And Effect Diagram. Results:  A total of 205 triggers were detected, and 60 adverse events were identified. About 15.9 percent of patients experienced an adverse event. The rate of adverse events was 19.1 per 100 admissions and 5.7 per 100 Admission days or hospitalization days. Almost half of the adverse events were in the E and F categories (temporary harm). Bleeding, nosocomial infections, and patient fall were the leading adverse events. Employees and working processes were the underlying causes of the medical errors and adverse events. The Global Trigger Tool found 100 times more adverse events than the voluntary reporting method. Conclusion: The adverse event rate of this study was high. Hospital managers should take appropriate actions to reduce medical errors and adverse events and enhance patient safety. The Global Trigger is a Powerful, reliable, strong tool for identifying adverse events and measuring their severity.