This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: https://info.ahrq.gov. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information.
Please go to www.ahrq.gov for current information.
Sources of ADE Information
| Source |
Total ADEs |
Preventable % |
| ER notes |
187 |
37% |
| Hospital D/C's |
166 |
35% |
| Computer signals |
439 |
34% |
| Electronic notes |
565 |
20% |
| Provider reports |
168 |
15% |
| Incident reports |
5 |
60% |
Source: Field, TS et al. JAMA 2004;52:1349-154.
Notes:
Study led by Jerry Gurwitz, David Bates, and Terry Field, funded by National Institute on Aging and AHRQ
~28,000 patients age 65 and older over the course of 1 year.
Systematically looked at each of these sources.
Computer signals were things like:
Digoxin Level >2
ICD9- code for "Poisoning by Cardiovascular Drug"
Potassium <2.9 or INR >5
Rx for Vitamin K
Note that MDs don't record or report their mistakes...
Previous Slide Contents Next Slide 
5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857