Adverse events

Abstract

Despite the current knowledge regarding adverse events being the third leading cause of death, they continue to persist at unacceptable rates. With almost 20 years of data and countless efforts to improve by healthcare systems, regulatory agencies, the legal system, and the licensing boards, there is still no improvement. This chapter reviews the study of adverse events including phenomena such as the just culture and second victimization, as well as the various tools and strategies that can be used to investigate a patient safety event.