Registration of complications of medical treatment]

The National Surgical Adverse Event Registration (LHCR) software has been fully implemented in 25 (18.7%) departments of surgery in the Netherlands. This is a relatively low percentage considering that 92.5% of all hospitals are already using a local registration system for complications. Software difficulties in creating a link between the LHCR and local systems is suggested to be the main impeding factor. There are still a number of questions, notably concerning the validity of the system for registration of all complications versus a selected group of (severe) complications, the issue of the implications of the registration system in terms of quality control and subsequent regulation or centralization of procedures, and the importance for other specialists, in particular those performing invasive procedures, to introduce a complication registration system to establish a quality control system in those areas as well.