Automated adverse event monitoring

A first-in-the-nation pilot to improve safety measurement and reduce preventable harm

The Roadmap to Healthcare Safety for Massachusetts calls for providers to have systems in place to identify and resolve risks to patient safety. But traditional methods capture just a small fraction of preventable harm events. And what can’t be seen can’t be fixed.

Automated adverse event monitoring (AAEM) is a new technology-enabled approach that continuously scans each patient’s electronic health record to detect a wide range of harm events in near-real time — typically 10 times more than hospitals are now identifying. With this information, hospitals can act to eliminate previously unseen risks that can lead to patient harm.

The Betsy Lehman Center is working with Pascal Metrics, Inc., a pioneer in the field, on an 18-month pilot of AAEM in a diverse cohort of Massachusetts acute care hospitals. An independent evaluation of the pilot will, for the first time, provide visibility into real-world patient safety outcomes and how AAEM could help hospitals achieve meaningful reductions in harm. 

The pilot is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and kicks off in fall 2026.