A framework for classifying patient safety practices: results from an expert consensus process

Abstract

This framework offers a way to classify and compare PSPs, and thereby to interpret the patient-safety literature. Further research is needed to develop understanding of these dimensions, how they evolve as the patient safety field matures, and their relative utilities in describing, evaluating and implementing PSPs.

Effects of a team-based assessment and intervention on patient safety culture in general practice: an open randomised controlled trial

“…Facilitators made records of the team sessions (duration and participants in the session, individual assessments displayed on the chart, dimensions of FraTrix that were discussed including important aspects of the discussion, and content of the action plan). Furthermore, we assessed the quality of the improvement protocols (see box 1) by evaluating whether the action and its goal were described, which factors contributing towards errors22 were addressed, other dimensions of patient safety practices23 and whether the action was implemented and the goal achieved.…”

“…The calculation was based on data from 302 practices from the EPA 18. A total of 45 practices would be needed to detect the proposed effect size for competing probability (CP)22 23 of 0.73 with a statistical power of 80% and at a two-sided 5% significance level (for details see online supplementary appendix 2, part 2). We adjusted the total sample size to 60 practices to account for possible withdrawals.…”

Tell me about the context, and more

“…The expert panel that provided consensus advice to the RAND study framed 4 overarching domains to group 42 distinct contextual elements: external environmental factors; structural organisational dynamics; cultural organisational factors; and collaboration, resources and leadership 8 9. The investigators took two approaches to identifying these elements.…”

“…They report that most publications omit any empirical assessment of the impact of context on implementation of safety practices 10. They also provide an extensive list of specific contextual elements relevant to patient safety interventions and a typology for organising them 8 9…”

Economic evaluation in patient safety: a literature review of methods

“…We define system-wide patient safety practices as interventions implemented at national or hospital level, targeted to organisational changes relating to common AEs (infections, medication errors or invasive procedure related events) and showing high sensitivity to context (leadership, culture, or institutional financial status or quality improvement infrastructure) 12. Information about costs and effectiveness of these practices is crucial for making evidence-based decisions to allocate limited resources for improving patient safety.…”