Mandatory Reporting Guidelines: Obligations, Problems, and Compliance

This article discusses the National Law's mandatory reporting guidelines for healthcare practitioners and employers. It covers the threshold for reporting, the aim of mandatory notifications, and the obligations of practitioners and employers. The article also addresses problems related to mandatory reporting, such as lack of compliance strategies and barriers to public awareness. Finally, it highlights the need for evidence of compliance and references relevant studies and legislation.

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Mandatory reporting guidelines
Obligations
The National Law is categorical on employers and providers to provide reporting on
any conduct of their staff. This reporting is referred to as mandatory reporting, which will
help practitioners, employers and education providers in understanding how the processes
work. The threshold to be met requires prevention of the public from any harm.
The aim of the mandatory notifications is geared towards preventing harm and
notifying regulatory body on any behaviour which contravenes patient safety. This focus is
geared on public safety and instances of sub standards conduct of practitioners,
(AHPRA ,2018).
The law has enshrined voluntary notifications for behaviour which represents risks and
don’t meet the threshold for any notifiable conduct by any individuals who are on mandatory
notifications obligation as per patients or clients requests, (Mathews & Kenny, 2008).
The obligations of practitioners and employers are to make reporting on any actions
which undermine patient safety. Mandatory notifications apply to nearly all employees which
enable them to notify practitioners. Further education providers have mandatory obligation of
ensuring education providers and practitioners report any form of student impairment that
puts them at risk or harm.
With the essence that mandatory reporting is enshrined in the National Law, there is
crucial policy change which covers the ethical; practice and professional obligations with
respect to mandatory reporting.
Problems linked to mandatory reporting address
Mandatory reporting has attempted to address issues related to practitioner’s profession.
The focus has been on the practitioners who engage in practice while they are intoxicated by
drugs or engaging on sexual misconduct with client’s patients. Further on actions which

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places the public at a predisposed risks which is far from the departure.
The need for mandatory reporting on the practitioner is trigged by the need to have the
professionals who practice with intoxication or engages in acts which jeopardizes the health
of the individual persons. Often the national Law don’t offer mandatory reporting on
practitioners who are intoxicated when they are not in practice. Further engagement on sexual
misconduct with the patients is gross misconduct on the patient rights. Engagement of sexual
activity in practitioners care puts the risks and health state of the patient in jeopardy, (Frost,
2007).
Thus mandatory reporting seeks to secure and safeguard the rights and safety of the
patients who are receiving care. Further it seeks to protect students and leaners from unsafe
harm which the system can be subjected to through mandatory reporting. Mandatory
reporting thus facilitates that practitioners are geared towards addressing health issues of the
patients’ and the client’s thus improving service care in general.
Evidence of compliance
With compliance of mandatory reporting, no evidence has been conclusive on the
reporting. Practices are being carried out and implemented, while no regulatory framework
has been established on evidence of compliance. The requirements of mandatory reporting
often don’t require the employers to make any formal notification in managing performance
and protecting the public from harm. However in certain case the employer has the reasoned
belief of notification, then the employer is notified irrespective of any steps put in place for
reporting, (Brach & Small, 2000).
Barriers
Often barriers linked to mandatory reporting have been linked to lack of awareness
among health care practitioner on levels on safe practices. Further the public are not well
aware of the procedures to be undertaken when doing the mandatory reporting. Most health

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care patients make complains when adverse effects have been occasioned to the thus there is
need to public awareness on the same. Further lack of compliance strategies have hindered
effective role out of mandatory reporting, (Guthre & Farneti, 2008).
References
Australian Health Practitioners and Regulation Agency(AHPRA), Mandatory
reporting.Accessed on 04/09/2018 https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/Make-a-
complaint/Mandatory-notifications.aspx
Barach, P., & Small, S. D. (2000). Reporting and preventing medical mishaps: lessons from
non-medical near miss reporting systems. BMJ: British medical journal, 320(7237),
759.
Frost, G. R. (2007). The introduction of mandatory environmental reporting guidelines:
Australian evidence. Abacus, 43(2), 190-216.
Guthrie, J., & Farneti, F. (2008). GRI sustainability reporting by Australian public sector
organizations. Public Money and management, 28(6), 361-366.
Mathews, B., & Kenny, M. C. (2008). Mandatory reporting legislation in the United States,
Canada, and Australia: A cross-jurisdictional review of key features, differences, and
issues. Child maltreatment, 13(1), 50-63.