Exploring healthcare workers’ experience and barriers in disclosing patient safety-related incidents: A qualitative study in Indonesian hospitals

Background: Open disclosure of patient safety incidents is a strategy to enhance patient safety by preventing future occurrences. This study aimed to identify factors that facilitate or hinder the implementation of open disclosure in Indonesian hospitals. Methods: Using a qualitative descriptive research method, 12 healthcare professionals with at least one year of experience and prior incident disclosure experience participated in online interviews. Thematic analysis revealed that open disclosure practices are uncommon in Indonesian hospitals. Results: The findings suggest that open disclosure practices are not common practice in Indonesian hospitals. Key issues include unclear responsibility for disclosure, determining which incidents should be disclosed, understanding patient and family responses, implementing follow-up procedures and addressing barriers such as cultural factors, fear of disclosure, lack of protection and insufficient awareness and training among healthcare professionals. Conclusion: Promoting open disclosure can improve patient-provider relationships and patient safety. Therefore, healthcare organizations, policymakers and educational institutions should collaborate to foster open disclosure, safeguard patients and educate healthcare professionals, leading to a more secure, transparent and patient-centric healthcare system.