What's in a name? “Return visits” in the emergency department

Return visit audits, quality improvement infrastructure, and a culture of safety: a theoretical model and practical assessment tool

“…Return visit reviews have been a longstanding method of identifying emergency department (ED) adverse events and other quality issues, but the evolving culture of safety has shifted their focus: while the traditional view of “bouncebacks” reflected retrospective judgement on individual errors, “return visits” emphasize root-cause analysis and prospective change [ 1 ]. The field of quality improvement and patient safety (QIPS) within emergency medicine has developed significantly, but there is unevenness across national settings with gaps in infrastructure, training, and capacity [ 2 ].…”