ABSTRACT
In 2003, the Minnesota State Legislature passed the Adverse Health Care Events (AHE) Law, requiring hospitals and, later, ambulatory surgical centers to report to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) whenever one of 27 serious adverse health events occurred. The law was modified during the 2007 legislative session to add a 28th reportable event, and again in 2013 to add four new events and modify or delete others to make 29 reportable events. Overall numbers of retained foreign objects (RFO) have remained relatively stable throughout the last 13 years, however, there is a slight decrease on a linear trend line. Focus group participants stated that the law has brought attention and awareness to events that in the past may have been seen as "inevitable" and are now seen as nearly always "preventable". Hospitals and surgical centers have been on a journey with MDH and its partners though the AHE system for 14 years now.
