More than 153,000 people experienced harm that was potentially preventable while hospitalized in Canada in 2024–25, according to a recent study.
Of those who were harmed while hospitalized, one out of 4 experienced multiple harmful events, according to data published by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) on Sept. 25.
“Hospitals are generally safe, but sometimes harmful events happen that affect patients,” the CIHI said. “Many of these events are preventable.”
The types of unintended harm experienced by Canadians in hospitals include medication-related errors, infections incurred during hospital stay, patient accidents such as falls or burns, as well as conditions that result from medical procedures or devices, the organization said….