Barriers influencing implementation of patient safety incident reporting and learning guidelines in specialised care units, KwaZulu-Natal: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background Globally, increased occurrences of Patient Safety Incidents have become a public concern. The implementation of Patient Safety Incidents incident reporting and learning guidelines is fundamental to reducing preventable patient harm. To improve the implementation of these guidelines in specialised care units in KwaZulu- Natal, the views of healthcare professionals were unearthed. Aim This study explores the healthcare professional views toward the implementation of Patient Safety Incidents reporting and learning Guidelines in specialised care units. Methods A descriptive, explorative qualitative approach was used to collect qualitative data from healthcare professionals working in specialised care units. The study was conducted in SCUs of three purposely selected public hospitals in two districts of KwaZulu-Natal. Group discussions and semi-structured interviews were conducted from March to May 2021. Content data analysis was performed using Tesch’s method of analysis process. Results The main themes that emerged during data analysis were: Ineffective reporting system affecting the communication of PSI guidelines, Inadequate Institutional and management for the healthcare professionals, Insufficient education and training of healthcare professionals, and poor human resources affecting the implementation of PSI guidelines. The findings highlighted that there were more major barriers to the implementation of PSI reporting and learning guidelines. Conclusion This study confirmed that PSI reporting and learning guidelines are still not successfully implemented in the specialised care units and the barriers to implementation were highlighted. For rigorous implementation in South Africa, the study recommends revised PSI reporting and learning guidelines, designed in consultation with the frontline healthcare professionals, consisting of standardised, simple -user-friendly reporting process as well as a better implementation strategy to guide the healthcare professionals. Continuous professional development programmes may play an important role in the facilitation of the implementation process.