Patient Weekly Accident Audit Checklist

Conducting a weekly accident audit for patients in healthcare facilities is essential for identifying potential safety hazards, preventing accidents, and ensuring patient well-being. Here’s a checklist for performing a weekly accident audit for patients:

1. Patient Information:
   • Record the patient’s name, medical record number, age, and location (ward or room).
2. Accident Documentation:
   • Document all accidents or incidents involving the patient that occurred during the week.
   • Include details such as the date, time, location, description of the accident, and severity of injuries.
3. Fall Risk Assessment:
   • Conduct a fall risk assessment for the patient using a standardized tool (e.g., Morse Fall Scale, Hendrich II Fall Risk Model).
   • Document the patient’s fall risk level and any interventions implemented to prevent falls.
4. Environmental Factors:
   • Assess the patient’s environment for potential safety hazards, such as wet floors, cluttered walkways, or inadequate lighting.
   • Document any environmental factors that may contribute to accidents or injuries.
5. Patient Mobility and Assistance:
   • Evaluate the patient’s mobility status and need for assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), transfers, and ambulation.
   • Document any incidents related to patient mobility, such as falls during transfers or attempts to ambulate without assistance.
6. Equipment Safety:
   • Inspect the safety and functionality of equipment used by the patient, such as bed rails, wheelchairs, or patient lifts.
   • Document any equipment-related incidents or malfunctions that occurred during the week.
7. Medication Safety:
   • Review the patient’s medication list and assess for any medication errors, adverse drug reactions, or incidents related to medication administration.
   • Document any medication-related incidents, including errors in dosage, route, or timing.
8. Staffing and Supervision:
   • Evaluate the adequacy of staffing levels and supervision provided to the patient.
   • Document any incidents related to insufficient staffing, delayed response to patient needs, or lack of supervision.
9. Communication and Education:
   • Assess communication among healthcare team members regarding the patient’s care plan, needs, and safety concerns.
   • Document any breakdowns in communication or failures to convey important information.
   • Provide patient and family education on safety measures, fall prevention strategies, and procedures for accessing assistance.
10. Incident Reporting and Follow-Up:
    • Ensure that all accidents, incidents, or near-misses are reported through the facility’s incident reporting system.
    • Document follow-up actions taken in response to reported incidents, including investigations, corrective actions, and preventive measures.
11. Root Cause Analysis:
    • Conduct a root cause analysis for significant accidents or incidents to identify underlying causes and contributing factors.
    • Document findings from the root cause analysis and recommendations for preventing similar incidents in the future.
12. Documentation and Reporting:
    • Compile all audit findings, incident reports, and documentation into a comprehensive report.
    • Include recommendations for improvement and actions to be taken to enhance patient safety.
    • Distribute the report to relevant stakeholders, including healthcare providers, administrators, and quality improvement teams.

By conducting a weekly accident audit using this checklist, healthcare facilities can identify trends, implement corrective actions, and promote a culture of safety to protect patients from harm.