Lesson 10.1 · 6 min
§ 23 Adverse events
Open in the coursewith narrated slides, a checklist to tick off and a quiz
At a glance
- Record and discuss. Adverse events are recorded and discussed with the staff involved.
- Find the cause, prevent a repeat. Always look for the cause. Where needed, define, record and carry out improvements.
- Inform the patient. First the liability insurer, then the patient, promptly and with proof, pointing them to the patient advocacy office.
- Learn from errors. Error reporting and learning systems such as the Medical Chamber's Cirsmedical are part of risk management.
In detail
What § 23 requires
- Adverse events are recorded and discussed with the staff involved or possibly involved § 23(1).
- When an adverse event occurs, the cause is always sought § 23(2).
- Where needed, improvement measures are defined, recorded and carried out so the event doesn't recur § 23(3).
- The patient affected is informed of the facts promptly and with proof, after the practice's liability insurer has been informed, and told they can get advice from the patient advocacy office § 23(4).
- Using error reporting and learning systems is part of the practice's risk management, the Austrian Medical Chamber's Cirsmedical for example § 23(5).
The order under (4)
First the liability insurer, then the patient, promptly. Record both with dates: "with proof" means you can show later that the patient was informed.
What works as proof
- an event record: what happened, when, who was involved;
- the minutes of the discussion, with the cause found;
- the measures agreed, who carries them out and by when;
- the report to the insurer and the information to the patient, each dated;
- how the practice uses error reporting and learning systems.
Checklist
- Adverse events are recorded and discussed with those involved.
- A cause is sought for every event.
- Measures are recorded, have a responsible person and are carried out.
- The team knows the order: liability insurer, then the patient, pointing them to the patient advocacy office.
- An error reporting and learning system is part of risk management.
Quiz
An adverse event affects a patient. Whom do you inform first under § 23(4)?
- ÖQMED
- The practice's liability insurer, then the patient promptly and with proof
- The patient advocacy office, which then informs the patient
- Nobody, until the cause is known
Show the answer
The answer is B: The practice's liability insurer, then the patient promptly and with proof. § 23(4): after informing the liability insurer, promptly and with proof, pointing the patient to advice from the patient advocacy office.
Sources
This lesson's statements rest on:
Not legal advice. What counts is the text of the QS-VO 2024 in the Federal Legal Information System (version of 3 October 2026) and the Austrian Medical Chamber's Hygiene Regulation 2014. Not an offer of ÖQMED, the BIQG or the Medical Chamber.