Automating patient safety incident reporting to improve healthcare quality in the defence medical services.

There are many reasons for poor compliance with patient safety incident reporting in the UK. The Defence Medical Services has made a significant investment to address the culture and process by which risk to patient safety is managed within its organisation. This paper describes the decision process and technical considerations in the design of an automated reporting system together with the implementation procedure aimed to maximise compliance. The elimination of inherent weaknesses in feedback mechanisms from the three Armed Forces, which had been uniquely different, ensured the quality of data improved, which enabled resources to be prioritised that would also have a direct impact upon the quality of patient care. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/