title: Implementing an Electronic Event-Reporting System in a Radiation Oncology Department: The Effect on Safety Culture and Near-Miss Prevention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We implemented an electronic event-reporting system to investigate its effect on quality improvement in our department.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed an event-reporting program that launched in October 2012; data analysis was performed in January 2014. Events were logged by the radiation oncology staff and reviewed by our quality and safety committee on a biweekly basis. To measure the efficacy of the new program, and change in safety culture, a Likert-scale survey was administered before, and three months after, implementation of the event-reporting system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 194 events were logged into the new system during a 15-month period (approximately 13 events per month), compared with 93 events in an 18-month period (approximately five events per month) before the program was launched. The average number of events reported by radiation therapists increased from 0.9 per month to 8.6 per month. The survey results showed a shift toward stronger agreement by staff members, in postimplementation versus preimplementation responses, when they were asked if they knew how to report an event in the department (P = .042), and if the current event-reporting system would reduce the incidence of future events (P = .032). Results showed a trend toward stronger agreement by staff members when they were asked if they felt more comfortable reporting events that they had observed (P = .093). Multiple safety action plans were implemented as a result of analysis of these events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An electronic event-reporting system streamlines quality and safety in a radiation oncology department by increasing reported events and promoting a safety culture. A program that is widely accessible, easy to use, and can analyze data meaningfully will be the most successful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Rohan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deraniyagala
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Chihray
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mittauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greenwalt
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. Electronic address: areyna@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Anamaria R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Yeung
mesh_terms: D003628:Database Management Systems / Q000458:organization & administration; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration*; D061214:Patient Safety; D011786:Quality Control; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods; D012107:Research Design; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Radiation oncology; clinical errors; quality; safety