Collaborative development of a values based standard for patient involvement in patient safety

Providing feedback to junior doctors on prescribing errors

Project summary

Background

Since the publication of ‘To Err is Human’ by the Institute of Medicine, there have been significant improvements to patient safety. It has been noted that, as centre to their care, patients may be well placed to comment on the safety of their own healthcare. It has been shown that patients are able to report on adverse events and are willing to engage in safety behaviours. Importantly, patients often contribute a different perspective, which is additionally beneficial to improving patient safety. Despite interventions to increase patient involvement in patient safety, the extent to which they get involved remains limited. 

There are many barriers to patient involvement in patient safety, including the perceived impact upon the patient-healthcare professional relationship and the healthcare professional defined approach to patient safety. Attempts to involve patients in patient safety have considered only the healthcare professional agenda; this is problematic, as limited empirical data to date has shown that patients and healthcare professionals perceive the concept of patient safety differently. There is also a lack of exploration of the relative or informal carer role in patient safety. 

For involvement in patient safety to be accessible and meaningful to patients, it needs to be approached with their perceptions and needs in mind. A shift is required from the healthcare professional approach to a collaborative approach to patient safety. This research will use qualitative methods to focus upon comparing patient, relative and informal carer (consumer) perceptions of patient safety to those of healthcare professionals. The aim is to develop a collaborative concept of patient safety and a safety standard which consumers and healthcare professionals follow to improve communication about and enhance involvement in patient safety.