Table 1

Summary of included papers: study context and design

AuthorsSample sizeTarget populationLocationDesignAimMethod of data collectionNature of questions eliciting patient reported PSIsTiming of reporting and length of patient recall periodComparison with other methods of error/incident detectionConcordance across error detection methods
Agoritsas et al151518Recently hospitalised adults from across the entire hospital populationSwitzerlandCross-sectionalTo investigate the frequency of undesirable events reported by recently discharged patients, and to identify correlates of undesirable eventsMailed surveyPredefined categories: survey on ‘undesirable events’Postdischarge: recall period unclearNo
Fowler et al232582Recently hospitalised adults from medical and surgical units across 16 hospitalsUSACross-sectionalTo determine rates at which patients experience what they considered to be AEs, to describe the kinds of events they reported and to identify the correlates of these reportsTelephone surveyPredefined categories using open-ended questions: interviews on four ‘categories of care’Postdischarge: average 9 monthsNo
Friedman et al24201Adults attending an emergency departmentUSAProspective cohortTo investigate whether patients or their families can identify AEs in the emergency department, categorise these events and compare these reports with current methodsMixed methods: telephone survey and medical record reviewOpen-ended questions: interviews about ‘problems or mistakes in care received, or hurt suffered as a result of care’Postdischarge: <7 daysMedical record review and hospital patient and visitor incident databaseNone of the patient reported AEs were recorded within the patient medical records or the hospital reporting database
Kaboli et al25126Adult inpatients in a general medicine unitUSAProspective cohortTo analyse and compare four different methods of detecting medication misadventures in order to determine the optimal system for reporting clinically observed medication misadventuresInpatient interviewPredefined categories but open-ended questions: interviews on ‘medication misadventures’At, or <2 days postdischarge: recall period unclearPhysician reports, nurse reports and medical record reviewSix patient reports (50% of physician-classified reports) were confirmed by medical record review. One patient report (8% of physician-classified reports) was confirmed by medical record review and nurse report, with one further patient report (8% of physician-classified reports) confirmed by medical record review and physician report
López et al262582Recently hospitalised adults from medical and surgical units across 16 hospitalsUSACross-sectionalTo assess how disclosure of AEs by medical personnel affects patients' ratings of the quality of careTelephone surveyPredefined categories but open-ended questions: interviews on four ‘categories of care’Postdischarge: average 9 monthsNo
Schwappach27125Adult inpatients from medical and surgical units across two hospitalsSwitzerlandCross-sectional with follow-upTo develop and pilot a brief patient safety survey applicable to inpatient care in Swiss hospitalsMixed methods: inpatient survey with follow-up interviewPredefined categories: survey on ‘undesirable events’UnclearNo
Schwappach and Wernli28479Adult oncology patientsSwitzerlandCross-sectionalTo explore chemotherapy patients' experiences of drug administration safety and to investigate the relationship between perceptions of risk and harm from error, staff safety practices and patients' engagement in error prevention strategiesMailed surveyPredefined categories: 1-item on a surveyUnclearNo
Weingart et al17228Adult inpatients in a general medicine unitUSAProspective cohortTo elicit incident reports from hospitalised inpatients to identify and characterise AEs and near-miss errorsMixed methods: inpatient interviews, telephone follow-up, and medical record reviewOpen-ended questions: interviews about ‘problems or mistakes in care received or hurt suffered as a result of care’
  • For inpatient interviews: <3 days

  • Postdischarge: <10 days

Medical record review and staff incident reporting databaseNo overlap with staff incident reporting database. Medical record review confirmed 40% of patient reported PSIs
Weingart et al29193Adult oncology patientsUSACross-sectionalTo investigate the ability of patients in ambulatory specialty care to recognise medical errors and iatrogenic injuriesInpatient interviewOpen-ended questions: interviews about ‘anything unsafe experienced during care’<7 daysNo
Weingart et al30209Adult inpatients in a general medicine unitUSACross-sectionalTo consider lessons learnt from a patient partnership intervention to prevent adverse drug events among medical inpatientsInpatient surveyPredefined categories: survey about medication errors and quality of careAt or postdischarge: recall period unclearNo
Weissman et al31998Recently hospitalised adults from medical and surgical units across 16 hospitalsUSACross-sectionalTo compare AEs reported in postdischarge patient interviews with AEs detected in medical record reviewMixed methods: telephone survey and medical record reviewPredefined categories but open-ended questions: interviews on four ‘categories of care’Postdischarge: 6–12 monthsMedical record review undertaken by (1) trained nurses and then (2) physiciansConcordance between medical record review and patient survey found to be 77% overall
Van den Bemt et al32620Inpatients in paediatric and internal medicine unitsThe NetherlandsProspective cohortTo investigate the relative value of adverse drug events reported by doctors, nurses and patientsInpatient interviewPredefined categories but open-ended questions: interviews about ‘adverse drug events’ only<24 hStaff incident reporting database1% concordance between physician and patient reports; 2% concordance between nurse and patients reports
Zhu et al332582Recently hospitalised adults from medical and surgical units across 16 hospitalsUSACross-sectionalTo examine the degree to which physician reviewers agreed that patient reports of ‘negative effects’ constituted AEs, and to identify questionnaire items that affected reviewers' judgementsTelephone surveyPredefined categories using open-ended questions: interviews on four ‘categories of care’Postdischarge: 6–12 monthsNo
  • Glossary of headings

  • Nature of questions eliciting patient reported PSIs: This refers to the degree of structure in the question(s) eliciting PSIs from patients. Papers used: (1) predefined categories of PSI only (survey method); (2) predefined categories of PSI, but with open-ended answer formats (structured interview method); or (3) open-ended questions only (semistructured interview method).

  • Timing of reporting and length of recall period: This refers to when patients were asked to report in relation to when they experienced the PSI, and the length of the recall period.

  • Comparison with other methods of error/incident detection: This refers to the comparisons made with other methods of detecting error or PSIs (eg, medical record review, physician/nurse/pharmacist incident reporting).

  • Concordance across error detection methods? This refers to the degree of overlap between error detection methods, that is, the percentage agreement between patient reports and medical record review, or physician or nurse reporting.

  • AE, adverse event; PSI, patient safety incident.