After Action Review (AAR)
General Information
Last updated: July 2026
Next review: July 2028
Learning Together to Improve Patient Safety
What Is an After Action Review (AAR)?
An After Action Review (AAR) is a structured discussion that takes place after an event or incident. It provides an opportunity for everyone involved to reflect on what happened, share their experiences and identify opportunities for learning and improvement.
Rather than focusing on blame, an AAR encourages open and honest conversations to understand what worked well, what could have been done differently and how future care can be improved.
AARs are used following both positive experiences and challenging situations to support continuous learning and help improve the quality and safety of patient care.
Why Are After Action Reviews Important?
After Action Reviews help teams learn from real-life experiences and strengthen the way they work together.
Benefits of an AAR include:
- Encouraging open communication.
- Sharing different perspectives.
- Identifying good practice.
- Recognising opportunities for improvement.
- Supporting teamwork and collaboration.
- Improving patient safety and quality of care.
The aim is to create a positive learning culture where everyone feels valued and able to contribute.
How Can an AAR Help You?
Taking part in an After Action Review allows everyone involved to reflect on an event and better understand what happened.
You may:
- Understand the event from different perspectives.
- See how your role contributed to the overall outcome.
- Recognise what worked well.
- Identify areas for improvement.
- Learn why things happened the way they did.
- Help improve future patient care.
Every participant’s experience is important, and everyone’s contribution helps strengthen learning across the team.
What Happens During an After Action Review?
Most After Action Reviews take place within two weeks of the event while details remain fresh.
The discussion is led by a trained facilitator in a supportive and confidential environment.
During the review:
- Everyone has an opportunity to contribute.
- Different viewpoints are welcomed.
- The discussion remains respectful and constructive.
- The facilitator guides the conversation.
- The review usually lasts around one hour.
The focus is always on learning rather than assigning blame.
Ground Rules
To ensure everyone feels comfortable taking part, each AAR follows a number of simple principles.
These include:
- Everyone has the opportunity to contribute.
- All opinions and experiences are respected.
- Discussions remain confidential where appropriate.
- The focus is on learning, not blame.
- The facilitator keeps the discussion constructive and on track.
Creating a psychologically safe environment allows honest conversations that support meaningful improvement.
The Four Key Questions
Every After Action Review is guided by four simple questions.
1. What did we expect to happen?
Discuss the original plan or expected outcome.
2. What actually happened?
Review the events as they occurred.
3. Why was there a difference?
Explore the factors that influenced the outcome.
4. What have we learned?
Identify practical actions that can improve future care.
These questions encourage reflection and help teams develop meaningful improvements.
How Do I Request an After Action Review?
The Patient Safety Team usually identifies when an After Action Review would be beneficial.
However, if you believe an AAR could support learning following an event, you are encouraged to contact the Patient Safety Team to discuss your request.
Every request is considered with the aim of promoting learning and improving patient care.
Key Points
Understanding how we learn from events is an important part of improving patient safety. After Action Reviews encourage open discussion, shared learning and continuous improvement across healthcare teams.
Learning Together
Every team member has valuable experiences and perspectives that contribute to improving patient care.
Open Discussion
AARs provide a supportive environment where everyone can speak openly without fear of blame.
Continuous Improvement
Learning from both positive and challenging events helps improve future practice and patient outcomes.
Better Patient Care
The ultimate goal of every After Action Review is to improve the quality and safety of care for patients.
Further Information
After Action Reviews provide a simple but effective way for healthcare teams to reflect on events, learn together and improve patient safety. By encouraging open communication and shared learning, AARs help develop stronger teams and support continuous improvement in the care provided.
