[Key elements in implementing adverse event notification systems in Latin American hospitals]

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient Safety
• Health Informatics

Context:

• Adverse event notification systems are crucial for learning from healthcare errors.
• Latin American countries have valuable experiences in designing and implementing these systems.
• Existing systems often face barriers that hinder their effectiveness.

Purpose:

• To develop evidence-based recommendations for designing and implementing adverse event notification systems.
• To identify critical success factors and barriers based on regional expertise.
• To enhance patient safety through improved reporting and learning mechanisms.

Summary:

• A qualitative study using the Metaplán methodology gathered 73 recommendations on system characteristics and 90 on barriers from 17 experts across seven Latin American countries and PAHO.
• Key agreements include the importance of legal security for professionals, a robust safety culture, incentives, timely feedback, and a unified taxonomy.
• The study emphasizes that these systems must be adaptable to local needs and prioritize patient safety to foster learning within the health system.

Impact:

• Provides actionable recommendations for improving adverse event notification systems globally.
• Highlights the critical role of confidentiality, anonymity, voluntary participation, and legal security for successful implementation.
• Aims to enhance healthcare quality and patient safety by enabling health systems to learn from adverse events.