Adverse events in community care: developing a research agenda

Little is known about the extent to which adverse events compromise the quality of community care. This article describes the results of a consensus workshop in which 31 healthcare professionals were asked to identify and rank common adverse events and important research questions relating to community care. Workshop participants were decision-makers and healthcare providers with areas of expertise that included community and home care; acute and primary care; patient safety; medical errors; and health services policy, administration and research. Results include prioritized lists of adverse events, research questions and contributing factors associated with adverse events. Further study should be aimed at defining and implementing research priorities and developing standardized definitions of common adverse events associated with community care.