We conduct studies using Prevention of Future Death reports (PFDs) to identify important lessons to reduce avoidable harms.
We have published 20 articles and reports in high-impact journals summarised below.
Methods articles
1. Zhang Q. Richards GC. Lessons from web scraping coroners’ Prevention of Future Deaths reports. Medico-Legal Journal. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1177/00258172221141284 |
2. DeVito NJ. Richards GC. Inglesby P. How we learnt to stop worrying and love web scraping. Nature. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-02558-0 |
PFDs involving medicines
3. France HS. Aronson JK. Heneghan C. Ferner RE. Cox AR. Richards GC. Preventable Deaths Involving Medicines: A Systematic Case Series of Coroners’ Reports 2013–22. Drug Safety. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40264-023-01274-8 |
4. Dernie F. Thomas ET. Bilip M. DeVito NJ. France HS. Ferner RE. Cox AR. Heneghan C. Aronson JK. Richards GC. Preventable deaths involving opioids in England and Wales, 2013-2022: a systematic case series of coroners’ reports. medRxiv. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.11.16.22282411 |
5. Aronson JK. Ferner RE. Richards GC. Deaths attributed to the use of medications purchased online. BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. 2021;27:60-64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2021-111759 |
6. Anis A. Heneghan C. Aronson JK. DeVito NJ. Richards GC. Deaths from cardiovascular diseases involving anticoagulants: a systematic synthesis of coroners’ case reports. BJGP Open. 2021. https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0150 |
7. Cox AR. Ferner RE. Tramadol: repeated prescriptions and repeated warnings. BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. 2020;26:e17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111661 |
8. Thomas ET. Richards GC. Diclofenac in adolescents: diagnosing and treating gastrointestinal adverse drug reactions can prevent future deaths. BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111640 |
9. Ferner RE. Ahmad T. Babatunde Z. Cox AR. Preventing Future Deaths from Medicines: Responses to Coroners’ Concerns in England and Wales. Drug Safety. 2018;42:445-451. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40264-018-0738-z |
10. Ferner RE. Easton C. Cox AR. Deaths from Medicines: A Systematic Analysis of Coroners’ Reports to Prevent Future Deaths. Drug Safety. 2017; 41:103–110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40264-017-0588-0 |
PFDs involving products
11. Bilip MK. Richards GC. Emollients and smoking: a fire hazard that could be prevented to reduce future deaths. BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. 2020;26:131-134. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111648 |
12. Richards GC. Alcohol-based hand sanitisers: a warning to mitigate future poisonings and deaths. BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. 2020;26:65-68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111568 |
PFDs involving covid-19
13. Swift B. Heneghan C. Aronson JK. Howard D. Richards GC. Preventable deaths from SARS-CoV-2 in England and Wales: a systematic case series of coroners’ reports during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. 2021;27:296-304. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2021-111834 |
Editorials & Commentaries
14. Aronson JK. When I use a word . . . . Too little healthcare—coroners’ concerns. BMJ. 2022; 379:o2873. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o2873 |
15. Richards GC. Aronson JK. Heneghan C. Coroners’ concerns to prevent harms: a series of coroners’ case reports to serve patient safety and educate the public, clinicians and policy-makers. BMJ Evidence Based Medicine 2020;26:37-38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111567 |
Reports
16. Odgers L. Aronson JK. Richards GC. Preventable deaths involving cyclists in England and Wales: Solutions to improve their safety. 2021. https://www.gchu.org.uk/2021/09/gchu-report-preventable-deaths-involving-cyclists-in-england-and-wales/ |
17. Loo JP. Richards GC. Preventable deaths in Oxford and Oxfordshire. 2021. https://www.gchu.org.uk/2021/12/gchu-report-preventable-deaths-in-oxford-and-oxfordshire/ |
18. De La Haye J. Richards GC. Preventable deaths in the city of Cambridge and Cambridgeshire, UK. 2021. https://www.gchu.org.uk/2021/12/gchu-report-preventable-deaths-in-cambridge-and-cambridgeshire/ |
Systematic reviews
19. Bremner BT. Heneghan C. Aronson JK. Richards GC. A narrative review of coroners’ prevention of future deaths reports (PFDs): a new metric for patient safety in hospitals? under review. |
20. Ferner RE. Brittain R. Cox AR. Heneghan C. Richards GC. Recognition of coroners’ concerns to prevent future deaths from medicines: a systematic review. under review |
Get in touch for more information (georgiarichardscebm@gmail.com) or check for updates using #EBMPreventFutureDeaths