What do primary care physicians and researchers consider the most important patient safety improvement strategies?
Publication year
2011Source
BMC Health Services Research, 11, (2011), pp. 102ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor
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Organization
IQ Healthcare
Journal title
BMC Health Services Research
Volume
vol. 11
Page start
p. 102
Page end
p. 102
Subject
NCEBP 3: Implementation ScienceAbstract
BACKGROUND: Although it has been increasingly recognised that patient safety in primary care is important, little is known about the feasibility and effectiveness of different strategies to improve patient safety in primary care. In this study, we aimed to identify the most important strategies by consulting an international panel of primary care physicians and researchers. METHODS: A web-based survey was undertaken in an international panel of 58 individuals from eight countries with a strong primary care system. The questionnaire consisted of 38 strategies to improve patient safety. We asked the respondents whether these strategies were currently used in their own country, and whether they felt them to be important. RESULTS: Most of the 38 presented strategies were seen as important by a majority of the participants, but the use of strategies in daily practice varied widely. Strategies that yielded the highest scores (>70%) regarding importance included a good medical record system (82% felt this was very important, while 83% said it was implemented in more than half of the practices), good telephone access (71% importance, 83% implementation), standards for record keeping (75% importance, 62% implementation), learning culture (74% importance, 10% implementation), vocational training on patient safety for GPs (81% importance, 24% implementation) and the presence of a patient safety guideline (81% importance, 15% implementation). CONCLUSION: An international panel of primary care physicians and researchers felt that many different strategies to improve patient safety were important. Highly important strategies with poor implementation included a culture that is positive for patient safety, education on patient safety for physicians, and the presence of a patient safety guideline.
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- Academic publications [238441]
- Electronic publications [122541]
- Faculty of Medical Sciences [90373]
- Open Access publications [97533]
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