This case study highlights how a prominent private hospital, managed by MEG's UK/Ireland team, tackled challenges with its outdated incident reporting system. The hospital streamlined its process by implementing MEG's Incident Reporting Module, achieving significant improvements and seamless integration.

1. Revolutionising Incident
Reporting: MEG’s Digital
Transformation Journey with a
Leading Private Hospital

2. This case study highlights how a prominent private hospital,
managed by our UK/Ireland team, tackled challenges with its
outdated incident reporting system. The hospital streamlined
its process by implementing MEG’s Incident Reporting Module,
achieving significant improvements and seamless integration.
The narrative discusses the drawbacks of the old hybrid
system, the hospital’s ambitions to enhance reporting, and
the customised solution offered by MEG. The outcomes speak
for themselves: improved incident reporting, heightened staff
engagement, and a reinforced culture of safety. This change
underscores the strategic benefits of transitioning to a digital
reporting system.

3. The Challenge
BeforeapproachingMEG,thehospitalusedahybridincident
reporting system comprising paper and digital elements.
When an incident occurred, frontline staff would manually
fill out paper incident reporting forms. These forms
were then forwarded to the Quality Department, which
would undertake the cumbersome process of scanning
and uploading them onto incident reporting software for
documentation.
Predictably, this approach was time-consuming, labour-
intensive, and inefficient. The inherent delays created a time
gap between the occurrence of an incident and its formal
documentation, hindering timely incident reporting and
potentially compromising patient safety.

4. Another significant challenge was the under-reporting of
incidents, particularly in critical areas like medication errors.
Often, responsibility for filling out incident forms rested on
the manager rather than the staff member directly involved
in the incident.

5. The Goal
Recognising the shortcomings of the existing system, the
hospital wanted a digital solution that would streamline the
incident reporting process, facilitate real-time reporting across
various incident categories, and encourage staff engagement.
The overarching goal was to transform the culture
surrounding incident reporting, positioning it as a positive
undertaking and a valuable learning opportunity for
improving patient safety.
They wanted staff to embrace a mindset where reporting
was seen as a constructive means to identify areas for
improvement, free from the fear of blame.

6. The Solution
MEG upgraded the hospital’s existing incident reporting
system to a comprehensive digital platform, accessible
on desktop and mobile devices for convenient use. When
connectedtothehospital’snetwork,staffcansecurelyaccess
the tool through the single sign-on method.
The software features incident reporting forms across 19
incident types/categories, such as falls, pressure ulcers,
medication errors, etc. Each form is tailored with a set of
category-specific questions, complemented by default
questions that remain consistent across all categories.

7. Please note that all data displayed in the
images below is taken from a MEG demo
account and does not correlate to any
hospital in any way.
When an incident occurs, staff can fill out the related reporting
form on any device (desktop and mobile, attach documents,
test results, signatures, and supporting evidence as required,
and submit it — all within a few minutes. The incident is
automatically assigned to the management responsible for
the location/department where it occurred. Simultaneously,
the Quality Department is notified of all incidents, ensuring
transparency and visibility.

8. Please note that all data displayed in the
images below is taken from a MEG demo
account and does not correlate to any
hospital in any way.
Department managers use the Incident Reporting platform
and the Quality Improvement Tool (QIP) to conduct
investigations. They can update the status of the incident,
add notes, assign and track follow-up actions for staff, and
close the incident upon resolution. Automated notifications
are also sent to subject experts (a.k.a secondary owners)
based on the type of incident. For example, a pressure injury
triggers a notification to a Tissue Viability Nurse (TVN).

9. Please note that all data displayed in the
images below is taken from a MEG demo
account and does not correlate to any
hospital in any way.
A centralised reporting dashboard provides Department
Managers and Quality Leaders access to incident activity
across the hospital. The dashboard features distinct tabs for
each incident type/category, with the ability to filter incidents
based on parameters such as status, overseeing manager,
location, category, type, and subtype. They can also view
incidents assigned to themselves using the “my incidents”
filter.

10. Please note that all data displayed in the
images below is taken from a MEG demo
account and does not correlate to any
hospital in any way.
The dashboard also provides graphical representations of
valuable data, such as the number of reported incidents within
a specific timeframe, incidents by category, status, location,
and incident category versus type. Each category tab features
a unique set of tailored graphs, encompassing metrics like
incident count, staging, location of occurrence, contributing
factors, and more. All reports and graphical data can be
effortlessly exported into Excel or PowerPoint for sharing with
higher management.

11. The Implementation
The successful execution of the above-described solution was made
possible through a synergistic collaboration between the hospital
and MEG.
The key objective was to ensure that the new system seamlessly
captured all relevant data previously collected through paper
forms. Leveraging the support of the hospital’s IT Projects
team, our implementation team delved into the intricacies
of department-specific incident reporting. This collaborative
approach of actively seeking input and feedback from all the
stakeholders allowed us to customise the Incident Reporting
software to their unique requirements, such as creating different
incident categories and subcategories.

12. MEG then built a trial version of the customised solution (outlined in the previous section), making
changes along the way based on feedback, and the hospital conducted comprehensive testing to
assess its effectiveness in day-to-day, real-time incident reporting. The testing module doubled as an
invaluable resource for staff training, allowing them to familiarise themselves with the tool and its
functionalities through interactive drop-in sessions.
Working closely with the IT Projects team, we tailored a solution
that allowed the hospital to shift from outdated, manual processes
to real-time reporting. At the end of the day, it’s not just about
implementing a system; it’s about transforming how incident
reporting is perceived and executed, making a lasting impact on
patient safety and healthcare culture
Angeline Connor
Senior Implementation Specialist, MEG

13. This proactive training approach played a pivotal role in guaranteeing
a seamless transition to the new system after its official launch by
instilling a sense of confidence among staff members.
Throughout the implementation process, the hospital’s IT Projects
and steering teams kept stakeholders and frontline staff well-
informed about the project’s progress with weekly and monthly
updates.Asthego-livedateapproached,consistentcommunication
was maintained through frequent emails, printed posters, and
leaflets distributed across the hospital.
In addition, they held educational drop-in sessions to facilitate
training and adoption. The team also prepared cheat sheets and
information guides to assist staff in logging in, locating different
categories, and filling out forms using the new system.

14. The Result
Some of the key outcomes and benefits of the implementation of MEG’s
Incident Reporting software within the hospital include:
Superior data capture
Having access to a set of customised Incident Reporting forms enabled
staff to effortlessly capture incident data with a high level of granularity
across categories. This resulted in a marked improvement in the quality of
captured data, specific to each incident type, surpassing the capabilities of
the previous system.
Real-time reporting
The intuitive and user-friendly interface of the MEG Incident Reporting tool
empowered staff to complete incident forms in real-time — within minutes
of the incident occurring. This is a stark contrast to the previous system,
where it would take them several days to fill out the incident report on
paper and a few more days to upload it onto the digital system.

15. Increased reporting rates
Prior to implementing MEG, there was initial apprehension that frontline staff might perceive the new
system as a barrier to reporting, potentially leading to a decline in reported incidents. Contrary to this
concern, the ease of use of the new reporting software resulted in the opposite effect. Particularly for
certain incident types, such as medication errors, the hospital collected more data than ever before.
Improved data analysis
The real-time dashboards have brought incident data directly to the wards so managers can view and
track incidents, add comments, assign tasks, evaluate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and improve
their processes based on the insights provided. The dashboards also serve as a valuable tool for
providing visibility and feedback to wards, departments, and upper management.
Cultural transformation
The introduction of MEG’s Incident Reporting software within the hospital has led to a positive shift
in how staff perceive the reporting of incidents. It is now being viewed as a valuable learning tool,
providing key insights rather than a cumbersome process that must be undertaken when issues arise
— which was one of the key objectives for this project.

16. Want to see the Incident Reporting
Module in action?
Book a demo