Literature Review: Incident disclosure policy, legal reform and research since 2008

Abstract

This document provides a literature review of incident disclosure research, policy and legal reform documents published since 2008. The review takes into account Australian as well as international publications. The last four years have seen an explosion of policy and literature on all aspects of incident disclosure. Over this time, three developments are apparent. First, as new policy is issued, implemented and evaluated, the principles for enacting incident disclosure are becoming increasingly detailed and refined. Second, publications increasingly encompass the various inter-disciplinary dimensions of incident disclosure, addressing its legal, ethical, moral, psychological, sociological, communicative and relational dimensions. Third, and most significant perhaps, the literature is becoming increasingly patient-centred and less risk-managerial. These developments have been assisted by policy makers, researchers, practitioners and patients advocating more strategic approaches to quality and safety. Thus, jurisdictions have moved towards developing key performance indicators for implementing quality and safety goals and standards and for measuring quality and safety processes and outcomes. What typifies many of these goals, standards and measures is that they place patients at the centre of the health care system and the health care process. One manifestation of this is the growing support for engaging patients in various aspects of quality and safety improvement. Another is the growing interest in patient rights (viz. the Australian Charter of Patient Health Care Rights and the Perth Declaration 2009 of Patients for Patient Safety).