Slide Presentation from the AHRQ 2007 Annual Conference

How can we measure adverse events?

• Most organizations: Voluntary reporting is the only mechanism available
  • Anecdotal
  • Misses the majority of events
• Chart review:
  • Very resource-intensive
  • Variable in effectiveness (e.g., implicit vs. explicit review methodologies)
  • Not comprehensive
• Computerized surveillance: effective, but rarely employed
  • Specialized IT requirements
  • Still requires significant clinical resources