Australian Incident Monitoring Study in intensive care: local unit review meetings and report management.

The Australian Incident Monitoring Study in the intensive care unit (AIMS-ICU) is a national study established through nursing and medical collaboration to develop, introduce and evaluate an anonymous voluntary incident reporting system. To ensure incident monitoring results in improved patient safety, it is essential that reported incidents are followed up regularly. Local unit review meetings are an effective forum for discussion and review of reports amongst a wide group of practitioners from the intensive care unit (ICU). All staff should be invited to participate in order to suggest preventative strategies, report on incident follow up and explore national study findings. Ongoing momentum of the project is assisted by highlighting its positive contributions to patient care and safety via newsletters, poster displays and targeted correspondence. New staff require orientation to the reporting system and assurance regarding safety of data. The emphasis must focus on the system, not the individual.