Accident, Incident and Near Misses Reporting

As the scope and complexity of health services increase, so does the potential for adverse events. One of the most powerful tools available to reduce the incidence and impact of adverse events is a comprehensive accident and incident reporting system. All organisations can learn from their mistakes, and in health care settings this is vital.

This module examines the processes involved in accident and incident reporting, ways to create an improved culture of reporting, the legal obligations of health facilities and the practical steps that need to be taken to implement an effective system. This makes it particularly suitable for those new to management, but it also covers the key elements of capturing meaningful information and the core components necessary for effective accident and incident documentation by all staff.

At the end of this module participants will be able to:

• Understand the purpose of incident reporting.
• Be able to identify the core processes of accident and incident reporting – prioritisation, documentation and notification.
• Know what kind of events need to be reported.
• Be committed to a no-blame culture of reporting in the health setting.