Possible solutions for barriers in incident reporting by residents

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Incident reporting can contribute to safer health care. Since the rate of reporting by residents is low, it is useful to investigate which barriers exist and how these can be solved. METHODS: Data were collected in a large teaching hospital in the Netherlands. The hospital uses a confidential, voluntary and web-based incident reporting system. Residents working in the hospital participated in focus group discussions to explore barriers and possible solutions. A grounded theory approach was used to analyse the transcribed discussions. RESULTS: In each focus group six to eight residents participated, resulting in a total number of 22 participants. After three focus group discussions, information saturation had been reached. Residents do not report all incidents because of a negative attitude towards incident reporting, because they experience a non-stimulating culture and because of a lack of perceived ability to report. Residents suggest several solutions to solve the barriers: providing the possibility to report anonymously, providing feedback, creating an incident reporting culture, simplifying the procedure, clarifying what and how to report, and exciting residents to report. CONCLUSIONS: Residents have useful suggestions to resolve the barriers that prevent them from reporting incidents. They include solutions that influence attitude, culture and perceived ability. These suggestions should be considered when making an effort to improve incident reporting by residents.