Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP) Practice Exam

What does the term "near miss" refer to in patient safety?

1. An event that has successfully been mitigated

2. An instance where harm was avoided but could have occurred

3. A situation reported by patients

4. An event that is noted in patient discharge summaries

The correct answer is: An instance where harm was avoided but could have occurred

The definition of "near miss" in the context of patient safety is an instance where harm was avoided, but there was a potential for it to occur. This concept is essential for understanding risk management within healthcare settings. When a near miss is identified, it indicates a failure in the system that, despite not resulting in injury or harm, highlights vulnerabilities that could lead to adverse events if not addressed. Recognizing and analyzing near misses allows healthcare facilities to learn from these incidents and implement changes to prevent actual harm in the future. This proactive approach enhances patient safety and improves overall quality of care. Near misses can occur due to various factors, including communication breakdowns, procedural errors, or equipment failures, which are crucial points for evaluation. Additional contexts, such as successful mitigation of an event, patient-reported situations, or documentation processes, do not capture the essence of a near miss, as they either describe different safety incidents or focus on post-event reflections rather than the anticipation of harm that nearly occurred.