Avoiding adverse events in interventional radiology - a systematic review on the instruments

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Patient Safety
• Interventional Radiology

Background:

• Adverse events (AEs) are a significant concern in interventional radiology (IR), contributing to one-third of all radiological AEs.
• Despite IR procedures generally having lower risks than surgery, the overall incidence of AEs is increasing.
• Developing effective measures to prevent AEs is essential for enhancing patient safety in IR departments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the existing literature on instruments and methods used to prevent adverse events (AEs) in interventional radiology (IR).
• To evaluate the quality of evidence for various safety tools employed in IR.
• To identify potential strategies for improving patient safety in IR.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed using handsearch and Ovid.
• Data extraction was structured, and the quality of evidence for included studies was evaluated.
• Data were aggregated for statistical analysis, focusing on interventions aimed at reducing AEs in IR.

Main Results:

• Nine studies were included after screening 1,899 records, investigating simulator training, team training, checklists, and team time-outs.
• The quality of evidence across the included studies was generally low, with many conducted in non-clinical settings.
• Analysis of checklist studies revealed a significant reduction in the median error per procedure, from 0.35 to 0.06, across a large number of procedures.

Conclusions:

• The current evidence base for instruments designed to prevent adverse events (AEs) in interventional radiology (IR) is limited.
• Checklists demonstrated a notable impact on reducing procedural errors in the reviewed studies.
• Further research is necessary to identify and validate the most effective safety tools to improve patient outcomes in IR by minimizing AEs.