Information Launch
Aug. 3, 2022
A brand new report from the Minnesota Division of Well being reveals the variety of reportable opposed occasions and situations of affected person hurt rose in 2021 through the previous year-long reporting interval in Minnesota hospitals, ambulatory surgical facilities, and neighborhood behavioral well being hospitals.
Previous to 2021, the general variety of occasions had been steady, however 2021 noticed a rise in occasions, primarily on account of new challenges and elevated care related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinicians have been pressured to adapt in actual time as hospitals and well being methods took care of sicker, increased acuity sufferers with a number of well being issues. Elevated affected person complexity due to COVID-19 led to longer hospital stays and different problems arising from delays in searching for care.
The size of keep in intensive care items greater than doubled from 2.31 days in 2017 to five.47 days in 2021. Longer hospital stays can result in a rise in pores and skin breakdown (stress ulcers) by growing the time a affected person is mendacity down or utilizing a medical system. Sufferers with longer size of keep might also expertise lack of energy, resulting in an elevated danger of falling. The report and details about particular person services is accessible on the Adverse Health Events reports webpage.
“The pandemic examined our well being care system and our well being care suppliers in an unprecedented manner in 2021,” mentioned Minnesota Commissioner of Well being Jan Malcolm. “The pandemic additionally confirmed the worth of our opposed well being occasions reporting system. By having this method, we have been capable of monitor the results of this extraordinary occasion on affected person security, and we are able to use these outcomes to work with Minnesota’s suppliers to extend our resiliency and potential to confront future challenges.”
Different pandemic-related elements included elevated time for workers to placed on private protecting gear earlier than having the ability to take care of a affected person and probably stop a fall, and better caseloads.
This opposed well being occasions report supplies an evaluation of the information collected from well being care suppliers from October 7, 2020, to October 6, 2021. The report reveals 508 opposed well being occasions reported throughout this interval, with 207 severe accidents and 14 deaths. Although the variety of deaths remained steady, there was a big improve within the variety of occasions and subsequently accidents in comparison with 2020. The will increase have been in classes doubtless to be impacted by longer stays, specifically, falls and stress ulcers. It’s vital to notice that many occasion varieties require a sure degree of hurt or damage to be reportable underneath the legislation.
In 2021, the overall variety of reported occasions elevated to 508 (up from 382 in 2020). As in years previous, stress ulcers and falls have been the most reported occasions, accounting for 217 or 60 % of the reportable occasions, adopted by 86 falls, 36 organic specimens, 36 retained objects and 28 incorrect web site surgical procedures.
“The worldwide pandemic pressed each affected person, household and well being care group into extraordinary circumstances,” mentioned Dr. Rahul Koranne, president and CEO, Minnesota Hospital Affiliation. “This statewide reporting and studying system affirms Minnesota’s hospital and well being system tradition of clear reporting and dedication to offering prime quality, secure care.”
-MDH-
Media inquiries:
Scott Smith
MDH Communications
651-503-1440
scott.smith@state.mn.us
