Potentially severe incidents during interhospital transport of critically ill patients, frequently occurring but rarely reported: a prospective study (January 2022)

Summary

This study in the Journal of Patient Safety assessed the occurrence of incidents in inter-hospital transport for critically ill patients, their potential consequences, and whether they are actually reported. Two different services in Norway were asked to self-report incidents after every inter-hospital transport of critically ill patients.

The study found that only 1% of incidents were actually reported in the hospital’s electronic incident reporting system. It also highlighted that experts who examined the incidents were inconsistent in which incidents should have been reported and to what degree different interventions could have prevented them. The study results show the existing quality and safety challenges relating to inter-hospital transport of critically ill patients.