‘Pivotal moment’: Specialists say reporting system will improve Alberta chiropractic care

Alberta chiropractors now have a new system to report incidents and risks to help improve safety for patients. (File/Chiropractic Association of Alberta)

Alberta chiropractors are launching Canada’s first patient safety reporting system.

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The Chiropractic Patient Incident Reporting and Learning System (CPiRLS) was developed by the Royal College of Chiropractors in the United Kingdom, and has been used internationally for more than a decade.

The new system allows practitioners to report incidents, near misses and potential risks, with the hopes of strengthening transparency and improving practice.

“This launch represents a pivotal moment for our profession and positions Alberta as a national leader in chiropractic care,” said Dr. Jacqueline Boyd, board chair, Chiropractic Association of Alberta (CAA).

“By establishing a trusted space for open reporting and shared learning, we’re taking a bold step toward strengthening patient safety and building greater confidence in chiropractic care for Albertans.”

It works by publishing patient safety reports in the system for all chiropractors to view.

The CPiRLS team then reviews each case, offers commentary and highlights trends across reports, helping the profession continually improve in the interests of patient safety.

The platform is secure and anonymous.

“It’s a concept that together we learn and together we grow and that these instances will no longer stay within only the chiropractor’s office,” said Boyd.

“As a result, we can make these systems changes to ensure we have the best patient safety for our patients when they choose to come to our offices.”

CPiRLS is now available to CAA members.