ADVERSE EVENTS IN ROMANIAN HOSPITALS 2017-2024: A NATIONAL LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF NATIONAL AUTHORITY FOR QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH - REPORTED INCIDENTS
Author(s)
Eniko Fulop, MSc1, András Attila Mezei, MSc1, Diána Elmer, MSc, PhD2, Árpád Antal, MSc1, Csaba Könczei, MSc1, Luca Kovács, MSc2, Imre Boncz, MSc, PhD, MD2, Zsuzsanna Kívés, MSc, PhD2.
1Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary, 2Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pécs, Hungary.
1Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary, 2Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pécs, Hungary.
OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiology, typology, and temporal trends of adverse events (EAAAM) reported by Romanian hospitals to the National Authority for Quality Management in Health (ANMCS) between 2017 and 2024, and to identify dominant contributing factors and patient outcomes.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the national EAAAM database, including 34,808 reported events from 2017 to 2024. Only confirmed events (n = 30,990) were included in the primary analysis. Events were classified by type (accident, incident, near-miss, pre-sentinel, and sentinel), final outcome (infection, trauma, death, or no consequence), and contributing cause category. Yearly reporting rates, outcome distributions, and cause profiles were examined. Patient demographics and county-level reporting patterns were also described.
RESULTS: The number of confirmed adverse events increased substantially over the study period, from 1,180 in 2017 to 4,638 in 2023 and 4,578 in 2024, reflecting an improved reporting culture. Most events were classified as accidents (65.8%), followed by incidents (17.2%) and near-misses (4.8%). Sentinel events accounted for 1.7% of confirmed cases. The most frequent outcome was healthcare-associated infection (41.1%), followed by events without patient harm (33.5%) and traumatic injuries (20.5%). Falls represented the most common single contributing cause (n = 9,213), followed by non-compliance with infection prevention protocols (n = 4,329) and medication errors (n = 2,693). The mean patient age was 60.7 years (median: 66 years), and males were marginally more represented (53.3%). Bucharest, Cluj, and Sibiu counties reported the highest absolute event volumes.
CONCLUSIONS: The ANMCS national dataset reveals consistent growth in adverse event reporting, indicating increasing safety awareness rather than necessarily worsening care quality. Falls, healthcare-associated infections, and medication errors dominate the risk profile. These findings provide a national baseline for targeted patient safety interventions and support the prioritisation of fall prevention programmes and infection control measures in Romanian hospitals.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the national EAAAM database, including 34,808 reported events from 2017 to 2024. Only confirmed events (n = 30,990) were included in the primary analysis. Events were classified by type (accident, incident, near-miss, pre-sentinel, and sentinel), final outcome (infection, trauma, death, or no consequence), and contributing cause category. Yearly reporting rates, outcome distributions, and cause profiles were examined. Patient demographics and county-level reporting patterns were also described.
RESULTS: The number of confirmed adverse events increased substantially over the study period, from 1,180 in 2017 to 4,638 in 2023 and 4,578 in 2024, reflecting an improved reporting culture. Most events were classified as accidents (65.8%), followed by incidents (17.2%) and near-misses (4.8%). Sentinel events accounted for 1.7% of confirmed cases. The most frequent outcome was healthcare-associated infection (41.1%), followed by events without patient harm (33.5%) and traumatic injuries (20.5%). Falls represented the most common single contributing cause (n = 9,213), followed by non-compliance with infection prevention protocols (n = 4,329) and medication errors (n = 2,693). The mean patient age was 60.7 years (median: 66 years), and males were marginally more represented (53.3%). Bucharest, Cluj, and Sibiu counties reported the highest absolute event volumes.
CONCLUSIONS: The ANMCS national dataset reveals consistent growth in adverse event reporting, indicating increasing safety awareness rather than necessarily worsening care quality. Falls, healthcare-associated infections, and medication errors dominate the risk profile. These findings provide a national baseline for targeted patient safety interventions and support the prioritisation of fall prevention programmes and infection control measures in Romanian hospitals.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
EPH264
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health, Health Policy & Regulatory, Health Service Delivery & Process of Care
Topic Subcategory
Public Health
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas