Kingston, M.Evans, S.Smith, B.Berry, J.2006-06-262006-06-262004Medical Journal of Australia, 2004; 181(1):36-390025-729X1326-5377http://hdl.handle.net/2440/9952The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.Objectives: (i) To examine attitudes of medical and nursing staff towards reporting incidents (adverse events and near-misses), and (ii) to identify measures to facilitate incident reporting. Design: Qualitative study. In March 2002, semistructured questions were administered to five focus groups — one each for consultants, registrars, resident medical officers, senior nurses, and junior nurses. Participants and setting: 14 medical and 19 nursing staff recruited using purposive sampling from three metropolitan public hospitals in Adelaide, South Australia. Main outcome measures: Attitudes and barriers to incident reporting; differences in reporting behaviour between disciplines; how to facilitate incident reporting. Results: Cultural differences between doctors and nurses, identified using Triandis’ theory of social behaviour, were found to underpin attitudes to incident reporting. Nurses reported more habitually than doctors due to a culture which provided directives, protocols and the notion of security, whereas the medical culture was less transparent, favoured dealing with incidents “in-house” and was less reliant on directives. Common barriers to reporting incidents included time constraints, unsatisfactory processes, deficiencies in knowledge, cultural norms, inadequate feedback, beliefs about risk, and a perceived lack of value in the process. Conclusions: Strategies to improve incident reporting must address cultural issues.enHumansFocus GroupsAttitude of Health PersonnelHabitsSocial ConformitySocial FacilitationAffectMotivationIntentionSocial PerceptionQualitative ResearchNursesPhysiciansRisk ManagementSouth AustraliaJournal article002004072010.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb06158.x0002228199000142-s2.0-324277873456816Berry, J. [0000-0002-4446-7927]