Reporting Device-Related Incidents: An Effective System Can Prevent Recurrence

The reporting of medical-device-related events can be a powerful patient safety tool. Identifying areas of risk allows an organization to pinpoint and address causes, so that the problems are less likely to recur, thus reducing the risk of harm, or further harm, to patients.

But this process is effective only when events are actually identified and communicated—a practice that not all facilities carry out effectively.

This article explores the crucial role event reporting can play in protecting patients from harm, the various...