Preventable Harm

Preventable Harm implies that methods for averting a given injury are known and that an adverse event results from failures to apply that knowledge.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement

(IHI) defines medical harm as the unintended physical injury resulting from or contributed to by medical care (including the absence of indicated medical treatment), that requires additional monitoring, treatment or hospitalization, or that results in death.


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Recent Reports of Adverse Events during Cataract Surgery in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has seen a recent increase in reports of Serious Reportable Events (SREs) associated with cataract surgery in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. Betsy Lehman Center is collaborating with the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Massachusetts Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (MSEPS), and the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists (MSA) to alert ophthalmologists, anesthesiologists, and clinical managers about these adverse events. In addition, we are working to better understand the root causes of these incidents and to share strategies for reducing the risk of future harm to patients.