What is a critical incident report?

A critical incident report is specifically designed to capture and document details of unexpected negative events that occur within a healthcare setting. These incidents often involve patient harm or near misses, and the report serves multiple purposes: identifying trends, facilitating quality improvement initiatives, and ensuring compliance with safety regulations. By thoroughly documenting the incident, healthcare organizations can conduct investigations to ascertain root causes, implement corrective actions, and ultimately enhance patient safety and care quality.

In contrast, routine healthcare practices, financial transactions, and daily operational checklists do not focus on reporting adverse or unexpected events, which is the essence of a critical incident report. These other types of documents serve different functions and are vital for operational efficiency, financial accountability, and compliance, but they lack the specific intent to analyze and improve upon the outcomes related to negative incidents within the healthcare system.