ExpIR-RO: A Collaborative International Project for Experimenting Voluntary Incident Reporting In the Public...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Patient safety research
• Health policy analysis

Background:

• Patient safety is a critical component of healthcare policy globally.
• The ExpIR-RO project piloted a voluntary incident reporting system in a Romanian public hospital from 2007-2009.
• Collaboration involved two Italian hospitals in Genoa and Milan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the feasibility and effectiveness of a voluntary incident reporting system in a Romanian healthcare setting.
• To compare incident reporting rates and types of adverse events across participating hospitals.
• To evaluate staff engagement and patient communication regarding adverse events.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous data collection using a modified Australian Incident Monitoring System form.
• Staff training on reporting adverse events (AEs) prior to voluntary submission.
• Analysis of AE frequency distributions and rates per 1,000 hospitalization days per month.

Main Results:

• 185 AEs reported across three hospitals; rates varied significantly (Bucharest: 1, Genoa: 3, Milan: 15 per 1,000 days).
• Common AEs included diagnostic procedures, surgical procedures, patient falls, and nursing care.
• Patient notification of AEs and entry into medical records differed across sites, with Genoa showing higher rates for record entry.

Conclusions:

• The ExpIR-RO pilot demonstrated that incident reporting systems can be successfully introduced in Romania.
• Findings suggest the potential for scaling up voluntary incident reporting to enhance patient safety nationwide.
• The study provides valuable insights into AE patterns and reporting practices in different healthcare environments.