Attention to cancer patients' safety after primary treatment is needed

Knowledge about patient safety issues after primary treatment of cancer is sparse.

The present article is a retrospective analysis of adverse events (AEs) after primary cancer treatment to characterise the types of AEs and their consequences. A total of 724 AEs reported from 2010 to 2013 were identified via the Danish Patient Safety Database. The International Classification for Patient Safety was used to characterise event types. Consequences were characterised as either psychical harm or delay. We focused on AEs in care transitions.

Common event types were administrative processes (58%), communication and documentation (56%), clinical processes (42%) and medication (27%). 46% of AEs led to physical harm. 4% resulted in severe physical harm or death. 18% resulted in delay in diagnosis of relapse or new cancer, treatment or referral. 50% of all AEs were related to care transitions. The AEs in care transitions carry great potential for prevention as they often relate to inadequate administrative practices, poor communication and documentation, or to unclear transferal of responsibility for the patient.

Attention to patient safety after primary cancer treatment is required. The identification of a substantial number of AEs in care transitions stresses a need for increased continuity and clear transfer of responsibility in cancer care after primary treatment. To support learning from AEs, the AE reports should provide more details on the contextual factors.