Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) Practice Exam

What is the most effective way to increase near-miss event reporting?

1. Include staff names in reports.

2. Allow a week for event reporting.

3. Require all errors and near-misses to be reported.

4. Provide feedback and follow-up to event reporters.

The correct answer is: Provide feedback and follow-up to event reporters.

Providing feedback and follow-up to event reporters is indeed the most effective way to increase near-miss event reporting. When healthcare staff know that their reports will lead to meaningful feedback, improvement efforts, or follow-up discussions, they are more likely to engage in the reporting process. This creates a culture of safety where employees feel valued and understand the impact of their contributions toward enhancing patient safety. Effective feedback serves several purposes: it reinforces the importance of reporting, educates staff on the issues being reported, fosters a sense of teamwork, and encourages continuous improvement. Furthermore, when individuals see that their reports lead to tangible changes or discussions about process improvements, they feel empowered and motivated to continue participating in the reporting system. In contrast, including staff names in reports might deter individuals from reporting due to fear of retribution, thereby reducing the number of reports. Allowing a week for event reporting limits urgency and may not address the issues promptly, which can diminish the learning opportunities that arise from timely reporting. Requiring all errors and near-misses to be reported could lead to a check-box mentality, where employees feel obligated to report without understanding the value of their input, potentially leading to underreporting if they perceive it as a burden. Thus, the combination of providing feedback