INCIDENT REPORT
INCIDENT REPORT
In aIn a health carehealth care facility, such as afacility, such as a hospitalhospital,, nursing homenursing home, or , or assisted livingassisted living, an, an incident report or accident report is a form that is filled out in order to record details of an incident report or accident report is a form that is filled out in order to record details of an unusual event that occurs at the facility, such as an injury to a
unusual event that occurs at the facility, such as an injury to a patientpatient..
Incident Report also a form, or screen, containing details of Incident Report also a form, or screen, containing details of IncidentsIncidents involvinginvolving any component of an IT Infrastructure or any aspect of the
any component of an IT Infrastructure or any aspect of the IT ServiceIT Service. Incident reports. Incident reports may come from a variety of sources and will usually result in the creation of an
may come from a variety of sources and will usually result in the creation of an IncidentIncident record.
record.
Beside that, when an event occurs that harms an individual, illustrates a potentialBeside that, when an event occurs that harms an individual, illustrates a potential for harm, or evidences serious dissatisfaction by patients, visitors, or staff, then a for harm, or evidences serious dissatisfaction by patients, visitors, or staff, then a risk-management incident has taken place. Examples of such episodes could include the management incident has taken place. Examples of such episodes could include the following:
following:
•
• A patient's family helps him out of bed despite directions to the contrary by staff A patient's family helps him out of bed despite directions to the contrary by staff
members. The patient falls and is injured. members. The patient falls and is injured.
•
• Excessive silver nitrate is put into the eyes of a newborn, impairing vision.Excessive silver nitrate is put into the eyes of a newborn, impairing vision. •
• The mother of the child complains about the care that has been given to her childThe mother of the child complains about the care that has been given to her child
and informs a staff member that she is going to talk to her lawyer about what has and informs a staff member that she is going to talk to her lawyer about what has happened.
happened.
When a member of the staff becomes aware of an incident, he has aWhen a member of the staff becomes aware of an incident, he has a
responsibility to make the hospital command aware of the situation. The mechanism for responsibility to make the hospital command aware of the situation. The mechanism for doing this is the
doing this is the incident reportincident report system. Incident reports are designed to promptlysystem. Incident reports are designed to promptly document all circumstances surrounding an event, to alert the commanding officer, document all circumstances surrounding an event, to alert the commanding officer, quality assurance coordinator, and other involved administrators and clinicians of a quality assurance coordinator, and other involved administrators and clinicians of a potential liability situation, and, in a broader sense, to establish an information base on potential liability situation, and, in a broader sense, to establish an information base on which to monitor and evaluate the number and types of incidents that take place in the which to monitor and evaluate the number and types of incidents that take place in the facility.
facility.
PURPOSE OF INCIDENT REPORT
The purpose of the incident report is to document the exact details of the occurrence while they are fresh in the minds of those who witnessed the event.
This information may be useful in the future when dealing with liability issues stemming from the incident.
In a health care facility, such as a hospital, nursing home, or assisted living, an incident report or accident report is a form that is filled out in order to record details of an unusual event that occurs at the facility, such as an injury to a patient.
Generally, according to health care guidelines, the report must be filled out as soon as possible following the incident (but after the situation has been stabilized). This way, the details written in the report are as accurate as possible.
Most incident reports that are written involve accidents with patients, such as patient falls. But most facilities will also document an incident in which a staff member or visitor is injured.
In the event that an incident involves a patient, the patient will often be monitored for a period of time following the incident, which may include taking vital signs regularly. You can use incident report for a lot of incidents including theft, personal injuries, dispute
between employees, disputes between customer and employee, broken items, safety issues because of faulty elevators or stairs and so on.
TIPS FOR WRITING AN INCIDENT REPORT
The Incident Report's Audience
• Even seemingly inconsequential incident reports can find themselves
intermingled with court cases or insurance affairs.
• This is especially true for medical incident reports or security incident reports. No
matter what kind of situation is being reported, it is important to write as if the words could reach a limitless audience.
• Don't assume the boss will carelessly skim the words before sticking them in a
folder indefinitely.
• The writer should write in a professional tone, only report what he knows for a
Staying Neutral in an Incident Report
• The potential importance of a incident report calls for neutral, factual
wording.
• The writer should constantly ask himself several questions, such as: "Is
this an assumption?" and "Is this an opinion?"
• An accident incident report should not avoid using language that invokes
sympathy, nor should the words pass judgment, even if the writer believes the accident was a result of poor decision making.
• The report writer's only job is to organize the facts so that future readers
can assess the situation as needed from an unbiased source.
The Incident Report's Time Frame
• The most accurate and effective incident reports are written as soon as
the accident, security breach, or other serious incident occurs.
• The sooner a report is written, the more details will be correctly
remembered.
• All incident reports should be written within 24 hours, and the report
should never be pushed aside until after a weekend or holiday.
• If a situation occurs, the witnesses should jot down as many notes as
possible if they do not have time to fill out an official incident form immediately. Memories can fade or change as time progresses.
What to Include in an Incident Report
• The most important questions to answer in the report are who, what, where,
when, why and how. Before filing away an incident report, the writer needs to confirm that each of these questions has been thoroughly answered.
• When writing an accident or medical incident report, the writer should be
thorough in explaining what happened immediately before the crisis, and how the accident was handled afterwards.
• Give details on if the hurt person was moved or medically treated in any way. If
paramedics arrive, collect their names to include in the report.
• Security incident reports should report names and badge numbers of any police
officers or security personnel involved.
• The writer might also want to ask for expert opinions from these professionals.
Quotes can be included in the report.
• All incident reports should list the names of people involved, even if their
involvement is minimal. This includes all observers and witnesses.
Creating an Incident Reporting System
• Most businesses will benefit from having a set incident reporting system in place.
Employees might want to suggest creating a standard incident report form or adding company-specific guidelines to the employee handbook.
• Implementing a permanent system will guide both new and old workers to supply
all the necessary information when writing a report.
• Standard incident report rules and questions might be easier to remember on a
• Companies that file incident reports on a regular basis might benefit by investing
in incident reporting software
.
• These programs will ensure that writers answer all the basic questions, and they
will keep all the reports organized, legible and easily accessible.
• Whether a company chooses incident report software, or simply creates their
own incident report forms, implementing a system will help produce clearer and more efficient reports. Either employees or business owners can take the
initiative and create a form or system today.
Writing the Incident Report
• After any workplace accident, even when no injury occurs, an incident
report allows managers to determine how to prevent similar occurrences.
• An incident report is used to document significant events. Your insurance
carrier sometimes relies on internal incident reports to help determine negligence or whether a workplace injury is compensable (which means covered under workers’ compensation coverage). Here are a few events that should trigger an incident report.
• Workplace injuries, including horseplay
• Near misses that could have caused damage or injury • Acts of aggression in the workplace
• Reports of dangerous driving or other behavior-based complaints • Destruction of property
• Auto accidents
• Criminal acts, including employee theft • Seriously disruptive workplace behavior • Inappropriate computer use
• Where do you start? Begin by interviewing people with access to
pertinent information. This may include complainants, witnesses, and the employees or coworkers who are participants or who may have knowledge of
the event. There is one important point to make here—if employees or
witnesses state they have no knowledge of the event, ask them to sign witness statements to rule out a later change of heart. These are known as “negative statements.” You don’t want feelings to run high, possibly causing witnesses to materialize months later who may or may not have accurate information about the event but failed to come forward at the time.
• Keep clear notes, and when possible use a recorder. Ask the person to
give verbal permission on the tape. Then, use this format to write the report:
• Describe the incident, including events in chronological order. Present the
facts logically and in order.
• What caused the event? If you can't determine the cause, don’t
speculate. You can describe information that appears factual but is unproved.
• Analyze the incident. Weigh all the facts, circumstances, and any events
leading up to the incident to develop a conclusion. It is better not to speculate than be wrong in your conclusion. It is okay to use statements like, “We are unable to draw a conclusion at this time.”
• Recommendations. What will you do to prevent similar occurrences?
Often the actions that will be taken are senior management decisions, so making alternative recommendations and any possible costs attached to them may be helpful.
Example
OF INCIDENT REPORT
PUBLIC LIBRARY OF DES MOINES INCIDENT REPORT
DATE OF INCIDENT: BRANCH OR TIME OF INCIDENT: DEPARTMENT: Brief description of the incident and action taken (if police were called, note case number):
If the incident involved patron(s), list name(s) and address(es) if known:
NAME: TELEPHONE:
ADDRESS:
NAME(S) OF EMPLOYEE(S) INVOLVED:
SIGNATURE OF EMPLOYEE COMPLETING FORM: DATE:
Please complete this form and submit to the supervisor immediately. Send completed form to the head of administrative services or director within twenty-four hours of the incident.
