5 Ways to Track the Value Incident Reporting in Healthcare

However, to make the case to leadership for obtaining budget approval of an Incident Reporting System, you need to demonstrate and prove the value.

5 ways to measure the value of incident reporting in healthcare organizations

1. Create a safer patient care environment

Incident reporting in healthcare can help organizations identify blind spots in system-wide procedures, creating a safer environment of care for patients.

For example, suppose it becomes apparent that healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) occur most frequently in a specific department. In that case, management teams can investigate and select the best course of action for reducing this risk by providing targeted resources to help identify the cause of the HAI and providing support in action plan management.   

Keeping a digital record of this data makes it possible to identify trends in patient safety and improve the quality of care.

2. Increase employee engagement

Employees are more likely to report incidents in a blame-free environment without fear of punishment or negative repercussions.

Using an incident reporting system that recognizes employees for noticing and reporting patient safety risks and near misses can improve patient safety.

Good catches occur up to 100 times more frequently than serious events but often go underreported. (2)

Incident reporting systems help report good catches that help leadership analyze these events to implement risk reduction strategies that improve patient safety proactively.

3. Reduce costs with incident reporting system in healthcare

Increased patient safety leads to cost savings from reduced hospital stays, reduced nurses’ administrative time, and more efficient drug utilization. (3)

According to a study by RAND Health, if most medical practices adopted incident reporting technology, the potential savings for both inpatient and outpatient care could average over $77 billion per year. (3)

The upfront cost of incident reporting systems might seem like a large number at first. However, when you calculate the return on investment over time, investing in this software can save your organization much money while improving the quality of care.

4. Enhance brand reputation

Incident reporting systems have digital rounding tools to automatically alert care team members when an issue has occurred.

Access to real-time information allows supervisors to conduct proactive service recovery and speak to unsatisfied patients before leaving the facility, leading to timely resolution of issues.

Addressing patient concerns at the point of care creates greater customer loyalty while improving patient satisfaction. (4)

Good service recovery programs can turn frustrated, disgruntled, or even furious patients or members into loyal ones. (4)

5. Improve organizational intelligence

One of the most valuable ways incident reporting in healthcare leads to performance improvement is by helping providers identify and leverage trend data to prevent incidents before they happen.

Understanding the drill-through details of patient safety events makes it easier for leadership teams to establish corrective plans for action. In addition, having a centralized platform for capturing, analyzing, and sharing data encourages continuous learning among staff and fosters the need to minimize harm as it occurs.

By utilizing incident reporting in healthcare, providers and leaders can develop a plan for proactive risk avoidance, improve patient outcomes, and reduce costs.

Incident Reporting Solutions from Performance Health Partners

With reduced patient safety events, increased data accessibility and efficiency, and lowered overall costs, the need for an incident reporting system is clear. Performance Health Partners helps healthcare organizations access the data they need to increase patient safety and improve outcomes. 

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