Answers to the questions people ask.
Short, answer-first articles on incident reports, sentinel events, RCA methods, plans of correction, OSHA recordability and more.
Latest.
- AI · OCT 5, 2026
How AI intake changes incident reporting
AI intake swaps a long form for a conversation. The reporter describes what happened, and the system asks follow-ups and drafts the fields for a person to review. The risks are over-labeling and invented causes. Studies test labeling accuracy, not report volume, so a person must still sign.
Read the article - BUYING · SEP 29, 2026
Incident reporting software pricing models: what each one does to your bill
Incident software is priced per seat, module, site, bed or census, or by enterprise contract. Each ties cost to something different. Compare vendors on total annual cost at your real user, site and module counts. IncidentKit prices by site: free Open, per-site Regulated, custom Network.
Read the article - SURVEY READINESS · SEP 22, 2026
What to put in a plan of correction
A plan of correction answers each CMS-2567 citation: what you will fix, how, who owns it, by when and how you will check it stays fixed. Nursing homes cover five elements, other providers four. It is due in 10 calendar days, signed by an official, and public.
Read the article - OSHA · SEP 15, 2026
First aid vs medical treatment: where OSHA draws the recordability line
A work injury is recordable if it needs medical treatment beyond first aid (29 CFR 1904.7). OSHA's first-aid list is closed, with 14 treatments. Anything else, such as stitches, prescription medication or a rigid splint, is medical treatment. Who gives the care does not matter.
Read the article - ACCREDITATION · SEP 8, 2026
AAAHC vs Joint Commission for ASCs: a fair comparison
Both AAAHC and the Joint Commission can deem an ASC to meet Medicare rules, so either can stand in for a state survey. Both survey deemed centers without notice. They differ in approach, how standards are published and how fees are built. Choose on fit and written quotes.
Read the article - REGULATORY · SEP 1, 2026
What is a sentinel event?
A sentinel event is a patient safety event, not mainly caused by the illness, that reaches a patient and causes death, severe harm or permanent harm. The Joint Commission also lists events that always count, such as wrong-site surgery. Analyze every one. Reporting to the Joint Commission is encouraged, not required.
Read the article - SAFETY CULTURE · AUG 25, 2026
How to get staff to report near misses
Staff report near misses when it is quick, safe and visibly useful. Make the first report take about 90 seconds, respond within days and show what changed. Leaders should say honest mistakes are examined for system causes, not punished.
Read the article - INVESTIGATIONS · AUG 18, 2026
Five whys vs fishbone vs fault tree: how to choose a root cause method
Use five whys for a narrow problem with one likely chain of causes. Use a fishbone to brainstorm many causes with a team. Use a fault tree when a serious failure can happen several ways. None works if the analysis stops at human error.
Read the article - BASICS · AUG 11, 2026
How to write an incident report
Write an incident report as short, plain facts: what you saw and heard, when and where, what you did, who you told and what happened. Leave out opinions, blame, guesses about cause and anything you did not see. Finish it the same shift.
Read the article - BASICS · AUG 4, 2026
Incident report vs variance report vs occurrence report: what is the difference?
Usually none. All three are short records of something that happened, or nearly happened, outside normal operations. The names come from habit and setting. Legally, what matters is the statute, how the record is made and routed, and who may read it, not the label.
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