Incident Summary
Concise narrative of what happened, including date/time, setting, immediate actions taken, and observed patient impact; avoid ambiguous language to support regulatory review and internal investigation.
A properly completed reporting form creates an auditable record, supports timely investigation, and helps satisfy legal obligations. Accurate reports protect patients, support corrective actions, and reduce regulatory and liability risk for the facility and manufacturer.
Several roles contribute to an accurate report, from point-of-care staff to compliance officers.
Use a small multi-disciplinary team to ensure clinical, technical, and regulatory perspectives are documented before submission.
Concise narrative of what happened, including date/time, setting, immediate actions taken, and observed patient impact; avoid ambiguous language to support regulatory review and internal investigation.
Full device identification: manufacturer name, model, catalog number, serial and lot numbers, UDI when available, plus where and when the device was used to allow traceability and corrective actions.
Describe patient injury, illness, or death if any; include age range, outcome, and whether additional treatment was required to document clinical severity for reporting thresholds.
Name, role, contact information, and facility department of the person completing the form to enable follow-up questions and confirmation of facts during investigation.
Preliminary findings from device inspection, technical testing, and interviews; record who performed checks and date/time to preserve chain of custody for evidence.
Actions taken (device quarantine, recalls, clinician alerts) and planned corrective steps with responsible parties and target dates for closure and monitoring.
| Field | Configuration | Required | Validation |
|---|---|
| Signature Authentication | Email + SMS code or SSO for staff identity verification |
| Required Fields | Make device ID, event date, and reporter required |
| Conditional Logic | Show investigation fields when severity is 'serious' or 'death' |
| Audit Trail Retention | Capture timestamps, IP, and version history |
Ensure the platform supports secure collection, authentication, and long-term retention of investigation records.
Choose a solution that preserves timestamps, stores tamper-evident copies, and supports required authentication and access controls.
Notify local risk and clinical leads within 24 hours of discovery.
Complete initial fact-gathering and device quarantine within 72 hours.
Inform device manufacturer per contractual terms; often within days of discovery.
Submit to FDA or other regulators per governing rules (e.g., FDA MDR timeframes).
Finish investigation and document corrective actions within defined internal SLA.
| signNow | DocuSign | Adobe Sign | PandaDoc | HelloSign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $8/user/mo | $15/user/mo | $14/user/mo | $19/user/mo | $15/user/mo |
| Free Trial | Yes, 7-day free trial | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan |
| Bulk Send | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Envelope Cap | No cap | 100 envelopes/user/year | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan |