What drives patients' Complaints about adverse events in their hospital care? A data linkage study of Australian adults 45 years and older

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine from patient-reported data the relationships between patients' experiences of adverse events (AEs), the disclosure of the events, and patients propensity for complaints or legal action. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 20,000 participants randomly chosen from the 45 and Up Study. The surveyed participants were older than 45 years and hospitalized in New South Wales, Australia, between January and June 2014. They were identified using data linkage to capture experiences of AEs. Results: Of the 7661 respondents, 474 participants (7%) reported experiencing an AE. Thosewho did not receive an apology or expression of regret in ..