Background: Systems to identify risks and adverse events (AEs) in Australia are limited. This study aims to explore whether general practice records contain information on AEs, and to conduct a pilot study on the type and frequency of AEs in general practice in Australia, using a global trigger tool (GTT).
Methods: Five practices were recruited and consented to collect data. Practice nurses were trained to collect data at their practices. Rec-ords from randomly sampled patients aged 75 years or older were reviewed.
Results: A total of 428 patient records were reviewed. A total of 44 AEs were detected in 41 records. The percentage of patients with an AE was 9.6%. Most low preventability AEs (21/29) were medication incidents.
Discussion: The study found that significant levels of information about AEs exist in general practice medical records and rates of harm are broadly in line with a similar study in Scotland.