Sir Charles Gairdner Improves Incident Reporting Process by Enhancing Access to Electronic Reporting
At Sir Charles Gairdner multiple reasons were identified for less than 7% of medical staff reporting clinical incidents. Some of the reasons noted were: lack of awareness about how to and who should report clinical incidents, unclear definition of a clinical incident, dual reporting processes and negative connotations about reporting.
To improve their incident reporting process Sir Charles Gairdner:
• Simplified reporting by using IT and making Datix reporting system available on intranet (eg, pinned to the taskbar of all WA health computers)
• Improved communication by acknowledging incident reports, offering a hotline for support, hosting workshops with CME points, and disseminating info in appealing / creative ways (e.g. movie clip made by own residents)
Additionally, Sir Charles Gairdner recommends the following to ensure an improved incident reporting process:
• Regularly review reporting rates and monitor change in behaviour
• Incorporate safety and quality into education schedule as most doctors are not aware of process and protocol
• Approach the problem on a system scale in order to reach a larger audience