What is the primary purpose of an incident report in healthcare?

The primary purpose of an incident report in healthcare is to document adverse events and identify areas for improvement. These reports provide a systematic way to capture details about incidents that occur within a healthcare setting, such as medication errors, falls, or other unexpected outcomes. By thoroughly documenting these events, healthcare organizations can analyze the information to understand the underlying causes and identify strategies to prevent similar incidents in the future. This process enhances patient safety and care quality by fostering a culture of transparency and continuous improvement within healthcare teams.

While increasing patient satisfaction is important, the primary focus of incident reports is on safety and quality improvement rather than directly addressing patient satisfaction. Similarly, incident reports are not intended for filing legal claims against staff; they are mainly for internal review and improvement purposes rather than a tool for litigation. Notifying family members of events may be part of broader communication practices, but this is not the essential function of an incident report.