Patient Safety Horizon Scanning Volume 6 Issue 9

Help shape the Independent Patient Safety Investigation Service

Source:  Department of Health

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Date of publication: August 2015

Publication type:  News item

In a nutshell: Dr Mike Durkin, Director of Patient Safety at NHS England, discusses the plans for the Independent Patient Safety Investigation Service. The consultation runs from 24 Aug 2015 to 31 Oct 2015.

Length of Publication:  1 web page

Enacting corporate governance of health care safety and quality: a dramaturgy of hospital boards in England

Source:  Sociology of Health & Illness [Epub ahead of print]

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Date of publication: August 2015

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell: This article draws on qualitative data from open non-participant observation of four NHS hospital Foundation Trust boards in England. The authors found important differences between case study sites in the performative dimensions of processing and interpretation of infection control data. They provide details of the practices associated with these differences and consider their implications.

Length of Publication:  1 web page

New safety standards published for invasive procedures

Source:  NHS England

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Date of publication: September 2015

Publication type:  News item

In a nutshell: The National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs) aim to reduce the number of patient safety incidents related to invasive procedures in which surgical Never Events could occur. The new standards set out broad principles of safe practice and advise healthcare professionals on how they can implement best practice. The standards will support NHS providers to work with staff to develop and maintain their own, more detailed, local standards and encourage the sharing of best practice between organisations. The NatSSIPs build on the existing WHO Surgical Checklist and promote the effective performance of the Five Steps to Safer Surgery guidance.

Length of Publication:  1 web page

How to make medication error reporting systems work – Factors associated with their successful development and implementation

Source:  Health Policy 119/8 pp. 1046-54.

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Date of publication:  August 2015

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  This study explored medication error reporting (MER) systems in different healthcare contexts. Sixteen medication safety experts in sixteen countries responded to a descriptive online questionnaire. Several factors related to the national context of MER systems, i.e., the operational environment, were identified to impact successful development and implementation of these systems. The authors concluded that operational environments of MER systems must be constructed to support functionality of these systems, and need to be improved in many countries.

Length of Publication:  9 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library

Clinical handover: the importance, problems and educational interventions to improve its practice

Source:  British Journal of Hospital Medicine 76/6 pp. 353-7

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Date of publication: June 2015

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell: The clinical handover is a complex area of advanced communication in medicine. It is becoming increasingly recognised as a situation where good communication is needed to ensure patient safety. This article outlines the importance of clinical handover and the need to make improvements.

Length of Publication:  5 pages

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library

An evaluation of the impact of the key information summary on GPs and out-of-hours clinicians in NHS Scotland

Source:  Scottish Medical Journal 60/3 pp. 126-31.

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Date of publication:  August 2015

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  Implemented during 2013, key information summary is one of the first national shared electronic patient records. It enables GPs to share clinical information with unscheduled care providers, including out-of-hours. This evaluation identified the impact of key information summary on healthcare services. The vast majority of responses showed that key information summary enhances patient safety, improves clinical management, reduces hospital admissions, empowers clinicians, aids communication across services and enables decisions to be responsive to patients’ needs. Out-of-hours clinicians would like more key information summaries, all well-completed and including social care information.

Length of Publication:  6 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library

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