Clinical Incidents Reporting Practice and Associated Factors Among Health Professionals in Debre Birhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, North Shoa, Amhara, Ethiopia
Abstract
A facility-based cross-sectional study examining clinical incident reporting practice and associated organisational and professional factors among healthcare workers in a comprehensive specialised hospital in Ethiopia.
Clinical incident reporting is an important component of continuous learning and patient safety improvement. Reporting systems enable healthcare organisations to identify hazards, learn from incidents and near misses, and strengthen care processes. Incident reporting practice, however, remains low in many healthcare settings and has not consistently followed recommended standards. This study assessed clinical incident reporting practice and associated factors among healthcare professionals in Debre Birhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital.
A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among clinical healthcare professionals. Participants were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 21. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess factors associated with incident reporting practice.
A total of 240 healthcare workers participated, giving a 100% response rate. Only 39 participants, equivalent to 16%, demonstrated clinical incident reporting practice, with a 95% confidence interval of 12%–21%. Significant predictors included work experience, orientation about clinical incidents, incident monitoring and evaluation, and uncertainty regarding organisational plans for the consequences of reported incidents.
Clinical incident reporting practice was low. Strengthening organisational structures, incident-reporting processes, staff orientation, monitoring and evaluation, feedback mechanisms and a supportive safety culture may improve reporting and support better patient-safety outcomes.
Healthcare professionals participated in the study.
All sampled participants completed the study questionnaire.
Participants demonstrating clinical incident reporting practice.
Confidence interval for the prevalence of incident reporting practice.
AOR 1.15
Work experience was significantly associated with incident reporting practice (AOR 1.15; 95% CI 1.06–1.26).
AOR 0.09
Orientation concerning clinical incidents was significantly associated with reporting practice (AOR 0.09; 95% CI 0.01–0.56).
AOR 0.09
Availability of incident monitoring and evaluation was significantly associated with reporting practice (AOR 0.09; 95% CI 0.01–0.69).
AOR 12.9
Uncertainty regarding organisational plans and the consequences of a reported clinical incident showed a strong association with reporting practice (AOR 12.9; 95% CI 2.88–57.99).
8%
Only 18 of the 240 respondents reported having received orientation regarding clinical incident reporting.
7%
Only 17 respondents reported that monitoring and evaluation of clinical incidents was in place.
9%
Only 22 respondents reported the presence of a continuous learning system in the study setting.
3%
Only six participants indicated that administrative support existed to facilitate clinical incident reporting.
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Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study
An institution-based cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess clinical incident reporting practice and associated factors among healthcare professionals at Debre Birhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital.
Debre Birhan, Ethiopia
The study was conducted at Debre Birhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, located approximately 130 km from Addis Ababa. The hospital reported 670 staff, including approximately 530 clinical staff.
1–15 April 2023
Primary data collection was conducted over a two-week period in April 2023.
Systematic Random Sampling
Participants were selected systematically from human-resource registration lists across clinical professional categories. The initial participant was selected by lottery and every second eligible participant was subsequently included until the required sample was reached.
240 Health Professionals
The final sample consisted of 240 healthcare professionals. Sample size estimation used Epi Info version 7 with 80% statistical power and a 95% confidence interval.
Multidisciplinary Clinical Workforce
Participants included nurses, midwives, medical doctors, pharmacists, laboratory professionals, anaesthesia professionals, health officers and other staff involved in patient safety and clinical services.
Structured Self-Administered Questionnaire
Data were collected using an English-language structured questionnaire delivered through Google Forms. The instrument covered sociodemographic characteristics, institutional factors and perceived barriers to clinical incident reporting.
Pre-Test & Reliability Assessment
A pre-test involving 5% of the proposed sample was conducted at Debre Sina Primary Hospital. Twelve participants were included in the pre-test. The reported Cronbach’s alpha was 0.78, and amendments were subsequently made to the questionnaire.
SPSS Version 21
Data were cleaned and analysed using SPSS version 21. Bivariable logistic regression was followed by multivariable logistic regression. Associations were reported using adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Multicollinearity and logistic-regression assumptions were assessed.
IRB 051/2022
Ethical clearance was granted by the
Institutional Review Board of the
Asrat Woldeyes Health Science Campus,
Debre Berhan University.
Protocol / IRB Reference:
051/2022
Written Informed Consent
Written informed consent was obtained from each participant. Participation was voluntary, confidentiality was assured, and participants could withdraw from the study without penalty.
Contributor Statement
All authors participated in proposal development, data collection, data entry and analysis, results write-up and interpretation, and manuscript preparation. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict of Interest & Funding
Conflict of Interest:
No conflict of interest.
Funding:
No funding received by the authors.
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CC BY 4.0
This article is published by
The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ)
under the Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International licence.
Persistent DOI:
10.64573/torgj2511002
Volume 1 · Issue 2 · 2025
The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ). ISSN 3105-3262. Article DOI: 10.64573/torgj2511002.
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