Table 3

Causes of AEs (subcategories): proportions with preventable AEs and AEs leading to permanent disability (including death)

Causes of AEsFrequencyPercentage (column %* within each main category)Preventable AEs (row %*)AEs with permanent disability row %*)
TechnicalDesign0000
Construction22100
Materials10341000
External22400
Other32200
HumanKnowledge basedKnowledge241467721
Rule basedQualifications3256914
Coordination48108919
Verification105218318
Intervention84267419
Monitoring96278317
Skill basedSlips2211370
Tripping53750
External52500
Violation126298117
Other4514405
OrganisationalProtocols32229233
Transfer of knowledge46509324
Management priorities7171000
Culture302810013
External651000
Other441000
  • AE, adverse event.

  • Reviewers could select more than one causal factor per AE. Preventability is related to the assessment of the preventability of the AE, not to the preventability of each cause underlying the AE.

  • * Percentages are weighted for oversampling of deceased patients and of patients admitted to a university hospital.