What is considered an "adverse event" in risk management?

An "adverse event" in risk management refers to an occurrence that results in unintended harm to a patient. This definition emphasizes that the harm is not deliberate and may arise from various factors such as errors in clinical practice, system failures, or complications that were not anticipated.

Understanding adverse events is crucial in health care risk management because they may lead to significant consequences for both patient safety and institutional liability. Identifying and analyzing these events helps institutions learn from mistakes, implement corrective actions, and ultimately improve patient care processes.

In contrast, incidents resulting in financial loss typically pertain to administrative or operational risks rather than direct patient harm. Instances of intended harm relate more to malpractice or criminal acts, which are outside the typical scope of adverse events. Scheduled medical procedures do not fall under adverse events since they are planned and anticipated actions rather than incidents that result in harm. Thus, the key aspect of an adverse event is the unintended nature of the harm experienced by the patient.