Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38858703›Full record

ArticleBMC palliative care2024

Adverse events at the end of life of hospital patients with or without a condition relevant for palliative care: a nationwide retrospective record review study in the Netherlands.

B Schouten, S M van Schoten, F M Bijnsdorp, H Merten, P W B Nanayakkara, A K L Reyners, A L Francke, C Wagner

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC palliative care, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

B SchoutenDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, P/O Box 7057, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, 1007 MB, The Netherlands. b.schouten1@amsterdamumc.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6387-7633
S M van SchotenDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, P/O Box 7057, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, 1007 MB, The Netherlands.
F M BijnsdorpNetherlands Institute for Health Services Research (Nivel), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
H MertenDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, P/O Box 7057, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, 1007 MB, The Netherlands.
P W B NanayakkaraSection General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
A K L ReynersDepartment of Medical Oncology, Center of Expertise in Palliative Care, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
A L FranckeDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, P/O Box 7057, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, 1007 MB, The Netherlands.
C WagnerDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, P/O Box 7057, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, 1007 MB, The Netherlands.

Funding

ZonMw 844003009
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatient safety is crucial for quality of care. Preventable adverse events (AEs) occur in 1 of 20 patients in the hospital, but it is unknown whether this is different for patients with a condition relevant for palliative care. The majority of the limited available research on this topic is only focused on patients already receiving palliative care, and do not make comparisons with other patients at the end-of-life. We identified and compared the prevalence, preventability, nature and causes of AEs in patients with and without a condition relevant for palliative care.

methodsA nationwide retrospective record review study was performed in 20 Dutch hospitals. A total of 2,998 records of patients who died in hospital in 2019 was included. Records were reviewed for AEs. We identified two subgroups: patients with (n = 2,370) or without (n = 248) a condition relevant for palliative care through the selection method of Etkind (2017). Descriptive analyses were performed to calculate prevalence, nature, causes and prevention strategies. T-tests were performed to calculate differences between subgroups.

resultsWe found no significant differences between subgroups regarding AE prevalence, this was 15.3% in patients with a condition relevant for palliative care, versus 12.0% in patients without a condition relevant for palliative care (p = 0.148). Potentially preventable AE prevalence was 4.3% versus 4.4% (p = 0.975). Potentially preventable death prevalence in both groups was 3.2% (p = 0.938). There were differences in the nature of AEs: in patients with a condition relevant for palliative care this was mostly related to medication (33.1%), and in patients without a condition relevant for palliative care to surgery (50.8%). In both subgroups in the majority of AEs a patient related cause was identified. For the potentially preventable AEs in both subgroups the two most important prevention strategies as suggested by the medical reviewers were reflection and evaluation and quality assurance. DISCUSSION: Patient safety risks appeared to be equally prevalent in both subgroups. The nature of AEs does differ between subgroups: medication- versus surgery-related, indicating that tailored safety measures are needed. Recommendations for practice are to focus on reflecting on AEs, complemented with case evaluations.

Indexed as

Palliative CareAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMedical ErrorsMiddle AgedNetherlandsPatient SafetyRetrospective StudiesTerminal CareAdverse eventsEnd-of-lifeHospitalsMedical errorsPalliative carePatient safety

Identifiers

PMID38858703
PMCPMC11163706

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.