Self-Reporting Systems Improve Patient Safety
Many near-miss events, however, are under-reported
While the anonymous nature of the reporting systems definitely allows for people to be candid with their mistakes, the reported incidents are universally known to under-represent the reality of the healthcare system.
Under-reporting has several causes: The type of incident, the level of damage or harm, the virtually non-existent benefit, anxiety around time constrictions, and general fear of what may happen if they do get found out. What’s more, since near-miss events do not actually harm anyone, staff members may not feel compelled to report them. Considering and analyzing the motivations and disincentives associated with near-miss reporting in an institution will dictate the increased variety of important, possibly practice-changing information in these areas.
