Barriers Preventing the Reporting of Incidents and Near Misses Among Healthcare Professionals

Reporting of incidents and near misses among healthcare professionals can help target improvement efforts and system changes to reduce the likelihood of patient injury. This study explored barriers that hinder healthcare professionals’ disclosure of incidents and near misses in hospital settings in Saudi Arabia. Cross-sectional data were collected using a qualitative semi-structured interview with 30 participants, including surgeons, physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, pharmacists, and healthcare quality staff during January and February 2020. Barriers reported by the participants were classified across six themes: fear, lack of knowledge, lack of leadership support, workload, reporting system, and lack of motivation. Health leaders must ensure that the reporting process is planned, designed, and implemented in a nonpunitive manner. When selecting middle-level managers, their knowledge regarding quality of care and patient safety practices should be assessed. The findings of this study add to existing knowledge regarding the barriers preventing the reporting of incidents and near misses among healthcare professionals.