Incidence, preventability and consequences of adverse events in older people: results of a retrospective case-note review.
This study used trigger methodology to identify adverse events and found that hospitalized elderly patients were nearly twice as likely to experience an adverse event during hospitalization than nonelderly patients. In contrast with prior research, errors experienced by elderly patients did not lead to increased morbidity or mortality. A preventable error occurring in an elderly patient is discussed in an AHRQ WebM&M commentary.