States with adverse event reporting systems may not be doing enough to capture every harmful incident, according to a report by the HHS' Office of Inspector General.
For this study, the OIG relied on medical records data of 780 Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized in 2008, along with other reports, to determine which adverse events were reported to states, as required. In 2008, 25 states and the District of Columbia operated systems to collect adverse event data submitted by hospitals.
The OIG found that states with adverse event reporting systems often require reporting for only a small subset of events. Specifically, it found that approximately 60 percent of adverse and harmful events occurred at hospitals in states with adverse reporting systems, but only 12 percent of those events were required to be reported.
The OIG also found hospitals reported only 1 percent of events, though the low reporting rate may be due to unfamiliarity with reporting requirements than neglect.
For this study, the OIG relied on medical records data of 780 Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized in 2008, along with other reports, to determine which adverse events were reported to states, as required. In 2008, 25 states and the District of Columbia operated systems to collect adverse event data submitted by hospitals.
The OIG found that states with adverse event reporting systems often require reporting for only a small subset of events. Specifically, it found that approximately 60 percent of adverse and harmful events occurred at hospitals in states with adverse reporting systems, but only 12 percent of those events were required to be reported.
The OIG also found hospitals reported only 1 percent of events, though the low reporting rate may be due to unfamiliarity with reporting requirements than neglect.
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