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The National Quality Forum has defined 29 never events—patient safety problems that should never occur, such as wrong-site surgery and patient falls. Since 2003, Minnesota hospitals have been required to report such incidents. The 2021 report summarizes information about 508 adverse events that were reported, representing a significant increase in the year covered. Earlier reports document a fairly consistent count of adverse events. The rise reflected here is likely due to demands on staffing and care processes associated with COVID-19. Pressure ulcers and fall-related injuries were the most common incidents documented. Reports from previous years are available.

Patient suicide is considered a sentinel event. This feature shares an examination of approximately 100 preventable deaths in the State of California over a decade. An examination of the case records identified breakdowns in care processes such as lack of training, low staffing and human error.

Psychiatric patients are vulnerable to particular safety hazards. This news article reports on unintended consequences associated with a strategy to help patients adapt to being discharged home by providing passes for them to adjust to independent living.

This Web site provides information about Maine's statewide incident reporting initiative and includes annual sentinel event reports.