Which is characteristic of an incident report?
A) Documents circumstances to assess for the possibility of impending litigation.
B) Guarantees that facility malpractice insurance premiums will be reasonable.
C) Provides a method of defense against liability for actions of facility employees.
D) Serves as a way to discipline the health care provider who perpetrated an error.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Incident reports are used to document the circumstances surrounding an unexpected event or medical error. This information can be used to assess for the possibility of impending litigation and may be used as evidence in a legal case.

Answer: C
 Incident reports can provide a method of defense against liability for actions of facility employees. By documenting the event and following up with appropriate actions, it can demonstrate that the facility took steps to prevent the error from happening again and acted in a responsible manner.

Option B and D are not appropriate choices as incident reports do not guarantee insurance premiums or serve as a means to discipline healthcare providers.

Which Is Characteristic of an Incident Report