Triggers
Signals for detecting likely adverse events. In many studies, triggers alert providers involved in patient safety activities to probable adverse events so they can review the medical record to determine if an actual or potential adverse event has occurred. In cases in which the trigger correctly identified an adverse event, causative factors can be identified and, over time, interventions developed to reduce the frequency of particularly common causes of adverse events. In these studies, the triggers provide an efficient means of identifying potential adverse events after the fact.
