What is the Safety Reporting System?

During the preparation of Service Quality Standards, research was conducted on the methods used in developed countries to report events that threaten or could threaten patient safety, the types of events that should be reported, and how they should be reported. The concept of event reporting first emerged in the United States in the 1980s and began to enter the agenda of European countries in the 2000s. When examining these processes globally, it is possible to see different practices in every country. In some countries, event reporting is under public control, while in others, it is managed by civil organizations. Additionally, countries make event reporting mandatory or voluntary within the framework of their legal regulations. Moreover, which events should be reported varies from country to country, but the topics to be reported are limited to three or four subjects, and events that most threaten patient safety are included in the reporting process.

In light of these studies and the information obtained, a series of efforts have been made in our country to develop a reporting system for incidents that threaten patient safety, and it was decided to establish a reporting system called the "Safety Reporting System" in healthcare institutions as of July 1, 2011. As of April 1, 2012, some changes were made to the standard numbered 01.01.19.00.G relating to this system, focusing solely on 3 subjects concerning patient safety.

This system aims to prevent the recurrence of incidents that harm patients and/or are detected before any harm occurs and to create educational materials from the reported events. In addition, it seeks to establish a reporting culture in healthcare institutions, facilitate learning from these events, develop learning processes and solutions, and encourage the implementation of solutions.

Participation of all healthcare workers in the Safety Reporting System is essential; however, ensuring the functionality of the system relies significantly on the responsibilities of institution managers and Quality Management Directors.