Patient safety incident reporting-learning system availability for patient reporting

To find out how the recommendation formulated in the EU Council Recommendation onPatient Safety 200 /C151/012 has been implemented in Latvia - establishment or strengthen blame-free reporting and learning systems on adverse events that: (1) provide information on the extent, types and causes of errors, adverse events and near misses; (2) provide, as appropriate, opportunities for patients, their relatives and other informal caregivers to report their experiences. In order to achieve the aims of the research, an analysis of national and international law was required applying the methods of interpretation of legal norms. Quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis were used to analyze the data in the register of Latvian medical institutions. The Recommendations of EU Council 2009/C151/012 have been partially integrated into the Latvian legal framework. Although Cabinet Regulation stipulates that medical institution must implement and maintain a non-identifying internal patient safety reporting-learning system, they do not determine the opportunity to report their experiences to patients, their relatives and other informal carers. The research of the websites of medical institutions shows that out of 5013 medical institutions, only 14 medical institutions provide the possibility for a patient to report a patient's safety case also in electronic form. The experience of the Children's Clinical University Hospital shows that reports from patients and their families are a potentially valuable source of knowledge and patient safety. In order to fully implement the EU Council Recommendation necessary: 1. Clarify the legal framework for patients, their relatives and other informal carers to report patient safety incidents through reporting-learning systems; distinguishing between patient safety cases and formal complaints, disciplinary proceedings and legal proceedings. 2. Provide the ability to report online through a single reporting point which can be integrated for internal reporting in any healthcare organization.