Effectiveness of Incident Reporting Tools in Ensuring Patient Safety: A Systematic-Narrative Hybrid Review

Background: Ensuring Patient Safety in healthcare is essential and requires efficient methods to reduce risks and improve the quality of care. Although incident reporting tools are commonly used to identify possible and actual care failures, their efficacy differs among various environments. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of incident reporting tools in enhancing patient safety. Methods: This review employed a combined methodology that integrates systematic and narrative approaches to gain a thorough understanding of incident reporting practices. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, databases including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for studies published from January 2013 to December 2023, focusing on the efficacy of incident reporting systems in healthcare. The Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) was implemented to evaluate the quality of the studies. Finally, key topics were grouped. Results: The search strategy yielded a total of 4,305 records. Of those, 8 were included in the final analysis. The total SANRA scores varied between 9 and 11 out of 12, indicating a generally high level of scientific reasoning and clarity in objectives among the studies. The descriptive analysis focused on factors influencing effectiveness including organizational culture, system design, and follow-up procedures. Conclusion: Incident reporting tools play a crucial role in patient safety but require proper integration into healthcare systems with supportive cultures and effective feedback mechanisms to realize their full potential.
Related content
-
Quality & Clinical Excellence
Patient Similarity Analysis and Decision Support Dashboards in Cancer Care: Patients’ and Other Stakeholders’ Perspectives.
Patient Similarity Analysis can be used to develop personalised aids for patients and clinicians making complex healthcare decisions, including those encountered in the oncology domain. However, little is known about patients’ views on how insights derived through Patient Similarity Analysis may be incorporated into decision making at the point of care. In this study, we
Learn more -
Quality & Clinical Excellence
Co-designing of Patient Safety Incident Disclosure Process in Primary Healthcare System in Qatar
The importance of disclosing a patient safety incident to the patient involved is recognized. In Qatar, there is no legal requirement for disclosure. The primary health care system in Qatar includes 30 health centers located around the country, managed by the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC). Over 63 nationalities of staff deliver care in the
Learn more -
Patient Family & Community Engagement | Quality & Clinical Excellence
Empowering Families in the NICU: The Transformative Impact of Family Integrated Care
Family Integrated Care (FIC) is a transformative approach in neonatal and pediatric units, redefining the landscape of family-centered healthcare. This webinar focuses on the importance of FIC for hospitalized infants, children, and their families. FIC recognizes the integral role of families and encourages their active participation in all aspects of their child’s care, transforming them
Learn more