Patient Safety and Incident Reporting
1 in 10 patients is harmed during care — and much of it is preventable. Yet incidents go under-reported and ...
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Patient harm remains one of the most significant challenges in global public health. Approximately 1 in 10 patients experiences harm during healthcare, and nearly half of these events are preventable. Local evidence further points to persistent under-reporting of safety incidents and inconsistent compliance with established safety standards — meaning that many opportunities to learn and improve are lost.
This course equips healthcare professionals with the knowledge and practical skills to recognise risks before they reach the patient, report incidents effectively, analyse their underlying causes, and apply evidence-based strategies that prevent harm and strengthen the overall quality and safety of care.
Course pre-test
Part I — Foundations
Part II — Human factors
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11
Chapter 5 · Human factors -
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Check your understanding · Chapter 5
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13
Chapter 6 · Fitness for duty: the IMSAFE check
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14
Check your understanding · Chapter 6
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15
Chapter 7 · The Swiss cheese model
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16
Check your understanding · Chapter 7
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Chapter 8 · Teamwork and communication: SBAR
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18
Check your understanding · Chapter 8
Part III — Incident reporting
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19
Chapter 9 · What to report: types of incidents
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20
Check your understanding · Chapter 9
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Chapter 10 · Why, when, and who reports
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Check your understanding · Chapter 10
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Chapter 11 · The reporting and learning system
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Check your understanding · Chapter 11
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Chapter 12 · The incident report and its components
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26
Check your understanding · Chapter 12
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27
Chapter 13 · The reporting procedure: step by step
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28
Check your understanding · Chapter 13
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29
Chapter 14 · Root cause analysis
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30
Check your understanding · Chapter 14
Part IV — Reducing harm
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31
Chapter 15 · Clinical risk and quality improvement
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32
Check your understanding · Chapter 15
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33
Chapter 16 · Infection prevention and hand hygiene
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34
Check your understanding · Chapter 16
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35
Chapter 17 · Medication safety
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36
Check your understanding · Chapter 17
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Chapter 18 · The surgical safety checklist
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38
Check your understanding · Chapter 18
Part V — System and culture
Course post-test
Resources
Capstone & certificate
What is the "Patient Safety and Incident Reporting" course, and who should enroll?
This international CPD-accredited, beginner-level, 6-hour online course builds foundational competence in patient safety and incident reporting. It is designed for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, healthcare managers, quality and safety officers, and healthcare students. The curriculum equips participants to recognize, report, and analyze safety incidents, contribute to a just culture, and implement evidence-based improvements. Instruction is delivered in English and is suitable for diverse care settings, including hospitals, primary care, community services, and pharmacies.
What competencies and learning outcomes will I achieve?
You will be able to: explain core patient safety principles and safety culture; distinguish adverse events, near misses, and hazards; apply human factors concepts to reduce error; use incident reporting systems effectively; conduct basic root cause analysis (e.g., Five Whys, fishbone); prioritize risks using simple matrices; translate incident learning into improvement actions; design and measure small-scale quality improvement cycles; and implement evidence-based strategies (e.g., checklists, bundles, SBAR communication, medication safety practices) to reduce preventable harm.
What topics and frameworks are covered in the course content?
Content includes patient safety principles, just and learning cultures, human factors and ergonomics, classification of adverse events and near misses, design and use of incident reporting systems, data quality and feedback loops, root cause analysis tools, risk assessment and prioritization, learning from incidents and dissemination, quality improvement methods (PDSA, measurement for improvement), and evidence-based harm-reduction strategies across medication, procedure, communication, and handover domains. Internationally recognized concepts are emphasized with guidance on local adaptation.
How long is the course, and is it self-paced?
The course requires approximately 6 hours to complete. It is fully online and self-paced, allowing you to start at any time and progress in short segments that suit clinical schedules. Content is delivered in English with practical case examples and application exercises designed to promote transfer to real-world practice.
Are there any prerequisites or required prior experience?
No formal prerequisites are required. The course is beginner-level and suitable for clinicians and healthcare staff new to patient safety or incident reporting. Basic clinical literacy and professional experience in a healthcare setting are helpful but not essential. Proficiency in English is required to engage with the materials and assessments.
What certification and CPD credits will I receive upon completion?
Upon successful completion, you will receive a Certificate of Completion and earn 2 CPD credits. The course is CPD-accredited internationally; however, recognition and credit conversion may vary by country or professional regulator. We recommend confirming acceptance with your licensing or credentialing body. Your certificate will state your name, course title, completion date, and CPD credits awarded.
How will my learning be assessed, and what is required to pass?
Assessment typically includes short formative quizzes, case-based incident analyses, and a final knowledge check aligned to the stated learning outcomes. To earn the certificate and 2 CPD credits, you must complete all modules and meet the passing criteria specified within the learning platform. Opportunities to review material and reattempt assessments are provided in accordance with platform policies.
How do I access the course, and what are the technical requirements?
After enrollment, you will receive login details for the learning platform. The course is accessible worldwide on a modern web browser using a desktop, laptop, or tablet with a stable internet connection and audio capability. Mobile access is supported on most devices. Institutional firewalls may require standard whitelisting for streaming content. Technical and learner support contacts are provided within the platform.
Does the course address international variation and legal/ethical considerations in reporting?
Yes. The course presents internationally recognized safety principles and reporting concepts while guiding learners to align practices with local policies, regulations, and professional standards. Ethical and legal considerations are discussed, including confidentiality, data protection, non-punitive reporting, and just culture. Content supports informed decision-making but does not constitute jurisdiction-specific legal advice.
How will this course improve my clinical practice and patient outcomes?
You will gain practical tools to strengthen safety culture, capture high-quality incident reports, conduct focused root cause analyses, prioritize risks, and design measurable quality improvement interventions. Graduates commonly apply PDSA cycles, checklists, standardized communication (e.g., SBAR), and medication safety strategies to reduce variation and prevent harm. The course promotes interprofessional collaboration, enhances situational awareness, and supports regulatory compliance and accreditation readiness.
Welcome to the Course
Welcome to Patient Safety and Incident Reporting — thank you for choosing this course.
Patient safety is one of the fundamental pillars of quality healthcare. Every day, preventable harm affects millions of patients worldwide, which makes patient safety a shared responsibility of every healthcare professional.
Throughout this course you will gain practical, evidence-based knowledge of:
- Patient safety principles and safety culture
- Incident reporting and learning systems
- Human factors and communication
- Root cause analysis
- Risk management and quality improvement
- Strategies to reduce preventable patient harm
Before you begin
- Complete the lessons in the recommended order.
- Pass the quizzes and the final assessment to receive your Certificate of Completion.
- This course awards 2 CPD credits upon successful completion.
- Study at your own pace — you may return to the course at any time.
- Reflect, as you go, on how each concept applies to your own clinical practice.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Recognise patient safety risks.
- Report incidents using structured approaches.
- Analyse adverse events and near misses.
- Apply evidence-based strategies to improve patient safety.
- Contribute to a stronger culture of safety within your organisation.
We hope this course supports your professional development and helps you deliver safer, higher-quality care.
Good luck — and thank you for your commitment to patient safety.
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Course details
Duration
6h
Lectures
49
Quizzes
1
Level
Beginner
Your Certificate of Completion is awarded once you have met all course requirements and passed the Final Assessment and Certification Test. This activity is accredited for Continuing Professional Development and awards 2 CPD points, recognised by participating professional bodies and institutions. It is issued jointly by Accréditation Sans Frontières (ASF), Paris, France; the Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG), Tbilisi, Georgia; and GMJ.ge Academy, Geneva, Switzerland. Technical support is provided by Accreditation Canada – Georgia Office, and academic support by David Tvildiani Medical University.
365 days
Desktop, Laptop, Tablet, Smartphone
Basic info
A practical, evidence-based introduction to patient safety and incident reporting for everyday clinical practice.
- Format: 20 chapters in 5 parts, with knowledge checks, a pre-test and post-test, and a capstone case study.
- Duration: approximately 6 hours · self-paced.
- Level: Beginner — no prior knowledge required.
- For: doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, and students.
- Assessment: quizzes, a final assessment, and a certification test.
- Certificate: Certificate of Completion awarding 2 CPD points, issued jointly by ASF, PHIG and GMJ.ge Academy.
Course requirements
No prior knowledge is required — only a few practical essentials:
- Internet access and a device (desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone).
- A willingness to learn and to reflect on your own clinical practice.
- Around 6 hours of study time, which you may spread across multiple sessions.
The course is designed to be accessible to professionals and students at every stage of their training.
Intended audience
This course is designed for anyone whose work touches the safety of patient care, including:
- Doctors, nurses, and midwives
- Pharmacists and allied health professionals
- Healthcare managers, and quality and safety officers
- Medical, nursing, and other health-science students
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