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1. What are the four steps of the incident management process in healthcare? Explain each step briefly and
provide an example of an incident that would require this process.
- Answer: The four steps are identification, reporting, analysis and learning. Identification is the recognition
of an incident or a potential incident by staff, patients or others. Reporting is the communication of the
incident to the appropriate authorities or channels. Analysis is the investigation of the causes and
consequences of the incident and the identification of improvement actions. Learning is the implementation
and evaluation of the improvement actions and the dissemination of the lessons learned. An example of an
incident that would require this process is a medication error, such as giving a patient the wrong dose or
drug.
2. What are some proactive strategies to prevent or reduce the risk of incidents in healthcare? Give at least
three examples and explain how they work.
- Answer: Some proactive strategies are: conducting risk assessments to identify and prioritize potential
hazards and vulnerabilities; implementing policies, procedures and protocols to guide safe and consistent
practices; providing training and education to staff on incident prevention and response; conducting audits
and inspections to monitor compliance and performance; engaging patients and families in safety planning
and feedback.
3. What are some reactive strategies to respond to or mitigate the impact of incidents in healthcare? Give at
least three examples and explain how they work.
- Answer: Some reactive strategies are: activating emergency plans and procedures to manage the immediate
situation; providing support and care to the affected staff, patients and families; disclosing the incident and
apologizing to the harmed parties; conducting root cause analysis to identify the underlying factors and
contributing causes; implementing corrective actions and improvement plans to prevent recurrence or reduce
severity.
4. What are some sources of information that can be used to identify incidents or potential incidents in
healthcare? Give at least three examples and explain how they can be accessed or collected.
- Answer: Some sources of information are: incident reporting systems, which are databases or platforms
where staff can report incidents or near misses; patient complaints, which are expressions of dissatisfaction
or concern by patients or families; adverse event surveillance, which is the systematic monitoring of clinical
outcomes or indicators that may signal an incident; morbidity and mortality reviews, which are meetings
where staff discuss cases with adverse outcomes or deaths; safety culture surveys, which are questionnaires
that measure staff perceptions and attitudes towards safety.
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