Objective: To assess the practicality of using personal digital assistants (PDAs) for the collection of logbook data, procedural performance data and critical incident reports in anaesthetic trainees. Design: Pilot study. Setting: Two tertiary referral centres (in Victoria and New Zealand) and a large district hospital in Queensland. Participants: Six accredited Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) registrars and their ANZCA training supervisors. Interventions: Registrars and supervisors underwent initial training for one hour, and supervisors were provided with ongoing support. Main outcome measures: Reliable use of the program, average time for data entry and number of procedures logged. Results: ANZCA trainees reliably enter data into PDAs. The data can be transferred to a central database, where they can be remotely analysed before results are fed back to trainees. Conclusions: This technology can be used to monitor professional performance in ANZCA trainees.

Editor-We were interested to read the article of Professor Mahajan and concur with his view that safety can be improved by learning from incidents and near misses. 1 Furthermore, we agree that investigation of incidents should not underestimate the potential of analysing incidents that are near misses or which have not led to patient harm. 1 We also accept that under-reporting of incidents by doctors can be a significant problem. 2 Whatever the reasons suggested by Mahajan for poor incident reporting, including lack of clarity of what to report, discrimination, and unfamiliarity with reporting systems, they can be overcome relatively easily. 3 We have developed a Portable Digital Assistant-based (PDA-based) incident reporting system for anaesthetists that achieved a 97.5% incident reporting rate with 50% of reports relating to near-miss incidents where no patient harm ensued. 3 The data derived from 14 000 anaesthetics showed that 3.5% will encounter a reportable event. 3 4 The data could also be used to generate comparative reporting rates for organizations, grade of registrar, and time of day (in-hours vs out-of-hours). 4 A second component of the programmed devices included the ability to record and display progress in acquiring competencies in practical procedures such as spinals, epidurals, arterial lines, central lines, etc. 5 Such data demonstrated added value to our organization by proving invaluable in handling a patient complaint. 6 The changes observed in the trainees provided with the devices in our Department of Anaesthesia led us to conclude that we had improved their ethical behaviour by facilitating incident reporting and thus had helped to achieve the highest incident reporting rate in the medical literature. 3 7 Consequently, we would wholeheartedly endorse the comments of Mahajan and hope that future anaesthetists and other clinicians will feel part of the loop and empowered to improve existing systems and patient safety. 1 However, we would add our lessons that incident reporting and logging performance data must be easy (taking ,5 s to complete each task), must occur in a supportive environment, and individual feedback must be made available online. 4 5 8

Editor-We note with interest in the report of NAP4 1 that serious airway difficulties were encountered more frequently with male patients, but are left wondering about the extent to which beards contributed to this sex difference. NAP4 undoubtedly helps us to shave risks: should it encourage us to shave chins?

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