Results of a survey to evaluate awareness and practices of critical incident reported by anaesthesiologists

Background and objectives

Enhancing patient safety in Anaesthesia relies significantly on critical incident reporting and analysis. We did an online web-based survey aiming to evaluate the awareness and practices of our anaesthesiologists on critical incident reporting in India.

Materials and methods

A validated questionnaire was disseminated via online social media platforms to evaluate the awareness and current practices of anaesthesiologists on incident reporting and analysis. Timely reminders were issued to enhance response rates, and data analyzed upon receipt of sufficient responses.

Results

Among the 506 responses received, 60% reported having a workplace incident reporting system. Despite high awareness, a significant majority expressed reluctance to report incidents, citing the fear of blame and shame as a deterrent. The most frequently reported incidents included cardiac arrest and drug errors. Identified contributing factors included inadequate staffing, communication gaps, prolonged work hours, a stressful work environment, and the absence of institutional protocols.

Conclusions

Despite a notable level of awareness regarding critical incident reporting among our anaesthesiologists, apprehensions related to blame and finger-pointing hinder the reporting process. As a uniform reporting system is lacking, formulating a national guideline, and establishing a standard reporting system is the need of the hour.