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What we do
The ASA Closed Claims Project actually sponsors several research projects:
- The Closed Claims Project
- The Perioperative Cardiac Arrest Registry
- The Postoperative Visual Loss Registry
The ASA Committee on Professional Liability first started in the Closed Claims Project in the mid 1980's. Its goal is to discover unappreciated patterns of anesthesia care that may contribute to patient injury and subsequent litigation. This goal is rooted in the basic philosophy that prevention of adverse outcomes is the best method for controlling the costs of professional liability.
In 1994, a joint effort by the Americian Society of Anesthesiology and the American Academy of Pediatrics created the Pediatric Perioperative Cardiac Arrest (POCA) Registry. The impetus for creating the registry arose after an in-depth study of pediatric cases in the Closed Claims database showed that a specific mechanism for cardiac arrest could not be determined in a large number of pediatric cases. The goal of the POCA Registry is to explore the causes of cardiac arrest in children using the data collection methods and investigative techniques developed by the Closed Claims Project.
In 1999, the Postoperative Visual Loss Registry started. This Registry investigates the mechanisms of perioperative ischemic optic neuropathy (ION). Cases are collected directly at hospitals where the events took place. Cases are submitted anonymously to the Registry offices.
The ASA Committee on Professional Liability oversees all project activities.