The number of reportable adverse health events in Minnesota hospitals in 2022 increased by more than 12 percent from the year prior, according to data released Sept. 27 by the state's Department of Health.
This marks the second year in a row that hospital events resulting in serious injuries or patient deaths have gone up in the state.
The report states this is likely due to "broad, systemic challenges in the health care delivery system," and "challenges [that] were magnified by both the added strain of the pandemic and by limited resources and systems within individual hospitals." Healthcare workforce shortages, they note, were also a factor.
Health officials analyzed totals for 29 often preventable errors that could lead to serious injury or death. Of the 29, the same two events led the reporting yet again: pressure ulcers and falls.
The number of falls actually declined from the year prior, but an increase in pressure ulcers drove the majority of the overall events documented in the report, according to the news release.
"It's clear from this latest Adverse Health Event report that systemic and pandemic-related issues continue to impact patient safety in Minnesota," Brooke Cunningham, MD, PhD, the Commissioner of Health for Minnesota stated in the release. "These types of analyses and the corrective action plans MDH staff advocate for when providing direction to our health care partners are important tools for improving outcomes for Minnesotans seeking care."