Objectives. To examine the criterion validity of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) using clinical data from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). Data Sources. Fifty five thousand seven hundred and fifty two matched hospitalizations from 2001 VA inpatient surgical discharge data and NSQIP chart-abstracted data. Study Design. We examined the sensitivities, specificities, positive predictive values (PPVs), and positive likelihood ratios of five surgical PSIs that corresponded to NSQIP adverse events. We created and tested alternative definitions of each PSI. Data Collection. FY01 inpatient discharge data were merged with 2001 NSQIP data abstracted from medical records for major noncardiac surgeries. Principal Findings. Sensitivities were 19-56 percent for original PSI definitions; and 37-63 percent using alternative PSI definitions. PPVs were 22-74 percent and did not improve with modifications. Positive likelihood ratios were 65-524 using original definitions, and 64-744 using alternative definitions. ''Postoperative respiratory failure'' and ''postoperative wound dehiscence'' exhibited significant increases in sensitivity after modifications. Conclusions. PSI sensitivities and PPVs were moderate. For three of the five PSIs, AHRQ has incorporated our alternative, higher sensitivity definitions into current PSI algorithms. Further validation should be considered before most of the PSIs evaluated herein are used to publicly compare or reward hospital performance.

BACKGROUND: There has been little research to examine post-discharge adverse events (AEs) in rural patients discharged from community hospitals. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the rate of postdischarge AEs, classify the types of post-discharge AEs, and identify risk factors for post-discharge AEs in urban and rural patients. DESIGN: This was a prospective cohort study of patients at risk for post-discharge adverse events from December 2011 through October 2012. PATIENTS: Six hundred and eighty-four patients who were under the care of hospitalist physicians and were being discharged home, spoke English, and could be contacted after discharge, were admitted to the medical service. Patients were stratified as urban/rural using zip code of residence. Rural patients were oversampled to ensure equal enrollment of urban and rural patients. MAIN MEASURES:The main outcome of the study was post-discharge AEs based on structured telephone interviews, health record review, and adjudication by two blinded, trained physicians using a previously established methodology. RESULTS: Over 28 % of 684 patients experienced postdischarge AEs, most of which were either preventable or ameliorable. There was no difference in the incidence of post-discharge AEs in urban versus rural patients (ARR 1.04 95 % CI 0.82 -1.32 ), but post-discharge AEs were associated with hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and number of secondary discharge diagnoses only in urban patients. CONCLUSIONS: Post-discharge AEs were common in both urban and rural patients and many were preventable or ameliorable. Potentially different risk factors for AEs in urban versus rural patients suggests the need for further research into the underlying causes. Different interventions may be required in urban versus rural patients to improve patient safety during transitions in care.KEY WORDS: medical errors; adverse events; quality of care; transitional care.

No abstract

Our results suggest that the PSIs may be useful as a patient safety screening tool in the VA. Our PSI rates were consistent with the national incidence of low rates; however, differences between VA and non-VA rates suggest that inadequate case-mix adjustment may be contributing to these findings.

No abstract