ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Wrong site surgery (WSS) is a potentially preventable adverse event in healthcare. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the 9,129 claims managed by the Professional Liability Service of the Catalonian's Colleges of Physicians from 1986 to 2017. RESULTS: We identified 57 claims for WSS (1.78 per year), with an increase in the final ten years (0.92 to 3.83). One patient identification error corresponded to the anesthetic procedure; surgery involving fingers (17.5%), backbone (15.8%), knee (12.3%) and teeth (12.3%) was predominant. Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology was the specialty most involved (54.4%), being tooth extraction, vertebral disc prolapsed surgery and finger bone resection the most frequent procedures with seven cases each (12.3%). Claims followed criminal (16 cases, 28.1%) or civil proceedings (9 cases, 15.8%), with two guilty verdicts on a civil basis. The frequency of claims leading to compensation was 59.6%, averaged 9,210.23 euros per claim, resolved through extrajudicial (65.6%) or judicial channels (50.0%). CONCLUSION: WSS events cannot be overlooked and shows high incidence of claims liability rates, which highlights the need to increase efforts to ensure patient safety in this area.
Subject(s)
Liability, Legal , Medical Errors/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Fundamento: La cirugía en sitio erróneo (CSE) es un evento adverso de la asistencia sanitaria potencialmente prevenible. Material y método: Análisis retrospectivo de las 9.129 reclamaciones registradas entre 1986 y 2017 en el Servicio de Responsabilidad Profesional Médica del Consejo de Colegios de Médicos de Cataluña. Resultados: Se localizaron 57 reclamaciones sobre CSE (1,78 reclamaciones/año) con incremento en los últimos diez años (0,92 a 3,83). Hubo un error de paciente correspondiente al procedimiento anestésico; las zonas anatómicas más implicadas fueron los dedos (17,5%) y la columna (15,8%), seguidos de la rodilla y los dientes (12,3% cada uno). Cirugía Ortopédica y Traumatología fue la especialidad más implicada (54,4%). Los procedimientos más frecuentemente implicados en la CSE fueron extracción dental, cirugía de hernia discal y resección ósea en dedo (7 casos cada uno, 12,3%). La vía de reclamación fue penal en 16 casos (28,1%) y civil en 9 (15,8%), con dos sentencias condenatorias por vía civil. El 59,6% de los expedientes conllevaron indemnización, con una cuantía media de 9.210,23 euros por caso, un 65,6% en vía extrajudicial y un 50% en vía judicial. Conclusiones: La CSE presenta una incidencia no desdeñable de reclamación y elevadas tasas de responsabilidad profesional médica, reforzando la necesidad de incrementar los esfuerzos en materia de seguridad del paciente en esta área
Background: Wrong site surgery (WSS) is a potentially preventable adverse event in healthcare. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the 9,129 claims managed by the Professional Liability Service of the Catalonians Colleges of Physicians from 1986 to 2017. Results: We identified 57 claims for WSS (1.78 per year), with an increase in the final ten years (0.92 to 3.83). One patient identification error corresponded to the anesthetic procedure; surgery involving fingers (17.5%), backbone (15.8%), knee (12.3%) and teeth (12.3%) was predominant. Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology was the specialty most involved (54.4%), being tooth extraction, vertebral disc prolapsed surgery and finger bone resection the most frequent procedures with seven cases each (12.3%). Claims followed criminal (16 cases, 28.1%) or civil proceedings (9 cases, 15.8%), with two guilty verdicts on a civil basis. The frequency of claims leading to compensation was 59.6%, averaged 9,210.23 euros per claim, resolved through extrajudicial (65.6%) or judicial channels (50.0%). Conclusion: WSS events cannot be overlooked and shows high incidence of claims liability rates, which highlights the need to increase efforts to ensure patient safety in this area
