Separate the questions
A safety review, a clinical complaint and a criminal investigation have different purposes. An allegation in one process does not decide the outcome of another. Identify what the committee is authorised to examine and refer other questions appropriately. Make clear that the review is not a court, a medical opinion or a substitute for a formal investigation.
Use a factual timeline
Bring together authorised records and distinguish confirmed timings from estimates. Preserve original accounts and note where information is missing or disputed. Avoid requiring witnesses to agree on a shared script. Give appropriate people a fair opportunity to clarify relevant facts through the agreed process, with conflicts of interest recognised.
Choose improvements within scope
Look at assistance, access, communication and follow-up arrangements that can be improved without deciding guilt. Record the rationale and the person responsible. Keep private evidence out of public campaign material. Share general learning only when appropriate, and explain limitations instead of presenting an incomplete review as a final account of the event.
Further reading
- 2022 case study · Advocate Aurora Health safety-event reporting ↗American Hospital Association · Source checked 2026-09-10
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