Resources
 | Accreditation Canada |  | Agence de la Santé et des Services sociaux de Montréal |
 | Canadian Patient Safety Institute |  | Groupe Vigilance pour la |
 | Institute for Health Improvement |  | Institute for Safe |
 | Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux - Health Regions |  | Safer Healthcare Now! |
Definitions
Accident:
An action or situation where a risk event occurs which has or could have consequences for the state of health or welfare of the user, a personnel member, professional involved or a third person.
(Source: Act Respecting Health Services and Social Services R.SQ, c. S-4.2 [“HSSSA”], section 8)
*In Quebec, there is a distinction between incidents and accidents. In Quebec, accidents could have consequences, whereas incidents do not. In the rest of Canada, incidents include all incidents and accidents, with or without consequences.
Adverse Event:
An unexpected and undesired incident directly associated with the care or services provided to the patient.
(Source: The Canadian Patient Safety Dictionary)
http://rcpsc.medical.org/publications/PatientSafetyDictionary_e.pdf
Disclosure:
The process by which an incident or accident is communicated to the patient by healthcare providers.
(Source: Adapted from: Disclosure Working Group. Canadian Disclosure Guidelines, Edmonton, AB: Canadian Patient Safety Institute; 2008)
http://rcpsc.medical.org/publications/PatientSafetyDictionary_e.pdf
Fiscal period:
Hospitals function according to an annual calendar composed of 13 periods ("P" in graphs) starting April 1st to March 31st.
Incident:
An action or situation that does not have consequences for the state of health or welfare of a user, a personnel member, professional involved or a third person, but the outcome of which is unusual and could have had consequences under different circumstances.
(Source: An Act Respecting Health Services and Social Services R.SQ, c. S-4.2 [“HSSSA”], section 183.2)
In Quebec, there is a distinction between incidents and accidents. In Quebec, accidents could have consequences, whereas incidents do not. In the rest of Canada, incidents include all incidents and accidents, with or without consequences.
Patient Safety:
The reduction and mitigation of unsafe acts within the health-care system, as well as through the use of best practices shown to lead to optimal patient outcomes.
(Source: The Canadian Patient Safety Dictionary)
http://rcpsc.medical.org/publications/PatientSafetyDictionary_e.pdf
Risk:
The probability of danger, loss or injury within the health-care system.
(Source: The Canadian Patient Safety Dictionary)
http://rcpsc.medical.org/publications/PatientSafetyDictionary_e.pdf
Stretcher patient:
Any person registered in the emergency department who requires a stretcher because of their medical or psychosocial condition, in order to be treated or evaluated, as well as any person occupying a stretcher, who is waiting to be hospitalized, discharged, or transferred to another resource in the healthcare system.
(Source: MSSS, Normes et Pratiques de Gestion, Manuel de Gestion financière, Annexe AS-478 du sous-centre d’activité 6240 – L’urgence)