Patient and Carer Participation in Reporting Patient Safety Incidents During Hospital Admission: A Scoping Review

More than one in 10 patients experience harm in hospital, and patients with communication support needs are at higher risk. Patients and their carers are well-placed to provide insights into patient safety incidents that may result in harm, which is essential to improving patient safety in hospitals.

To investigate the methods used to elicit reports of patient safety incidents from patients and their carers, the types of incident reported, and if patients with communication support needs have been included in this research to date.

A scoping review.

Overall, 31 studies described a variety of methods to elicit reports of patient safety incidents from patients and carers across 12 adverse event categories. Surveys and interviews were the most common methods and elicited reports of patient safety incidents across all categories. Most research has occurred in surgical and medical wards. Few studies included patients with communication support needs, and accommodations to support their inclusion were rarely reported.

Patients and carers can use a variety of methods to report a wide range of patient safety incidents related to hospital care. However, vulnerable patients with communication support needs are not routinely included in the research. Future research should include these patients to better understand ways to improve hospital safety for this population.

This study provides researchers and hospital managers with knowledge about methods used to include hospital patients and their carers in reporting patient safety incidents and identifies at-risk patient populations currently excluded from this research.

Surveys and interviews are the most common methods to elicit reports of patient safety incidents. However, the low level of inclusion of patients with communication support needs represents a critical gap in research. Addressing this gap is essential to improving patient safety in hospitals.

This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews and results are reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR.

This scoping review does not directly involve patients or the general public in its design or execution. However, this study forms a part of a wider body of research by the authors exploring in-hospital patient safety incidents for patients with communication support needs. People with lived experience are advising on this broader program of research.