CORR Insights^®: Can Surgeons Adequately Capture Adverse Events Using the Spinal Adverse Events Severity System (SAVES) and OrthoSAVES?

Excerpt

The Institute of Medicine has recommended systems for reporting medical errors. However, at a basic level, a standard language and consistent definitions for what constitutes an adverse event (AE) have been lacking [11]. Current terminology, such as “complication,” “AE,” “adverse occurrence,” or “near misses,” are often used interchangeably, but have different meanings (between or within institutions depending on case definition) and varying methods for identification and reporting [10]. In addition, concerns regarding malpractice, professional, and financial implications (personal, practice group, or institutional) of AEs can result in variable reporting of AEs [7]. The inconsistency of AE reporting in surgery reflects the complexity and challenges of this important issue, and currently is a focus of many surgical societies and institutions. …