OTO: A Novel Patient Safety Event Reporting Tool in Otolaryngology

This podcast highlights original research published in the July 2017 issue of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, the official journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Foundation. A pilot study of an anonymous, voluntary, event reporting system made available to all members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery was performed. The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) index was used to classify error types. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize submissions to the database. This preliminary descriptive analysis of a novel otolaryngology patient safety event reporting tool shows that this platform brings unique value to the identification of errors and adverse events in our specialty. Most reported events were classified as errors resulting in harm. The most common type of reported event was a technical error, most often resulting in a nerve injury.   Click here to read the full article.