Patient Safety Event (PS Event)

Date of Publication:

7/26/2023

Definition:

A PS event is an incident or condition that could have resulted, or did result, in harm to a patient. A PS event can be, but is not necessarily the result of, a defective system or process design, a system or process breakdown, equipment failure or malfunction, or human error. PS events include adverse events, no-harm events, near-miss events, and unsafe or hazardous conditions defined as:

• Adverse event - A PS event that resulted in harm to the patient. The event may occur by the omission or commission of medical care.
• No-harm event - A PS event that reached the patient but did not cause harm.
• Near-miss event -  A PS event that did not reach the patient (also known as “close call” or “good catch”) unsafe or hazardous condition. A condition or a circumstance (other than a patient’s own disease process or condition) that increases the probability of an adverse event.