Using information to drive quality and safety
Developing a coherent, effective safety and quality improvement strategy is very difficult; the task is vast, the interventions are of variable efficacy and reliable data sorely lacking. In this programme we focus on the most fundamental requirement for a rational strategy: the development and effective use of quality and safety information on which decisions can be based and progress evaluated. In the NHS safety and quality information is often not accessible, not sufficiently timely and is seldom used to guide or evaluate safety and quality improvement, either at local or national level. We approach this problem from a very practical perspective. What information do clinicians and managers, at every level, need to monitor and improve safety and quality? We will rely primarily on routine data that is already collected but not effectively used. This includes existing systems, such as incident reporting, but we intend to develop reliable, usable systems for continuous monitoring and alerts of potential problems. We will focus particularly on clinical areas that are within the programme, so that we concurrently develop information systems in parallel with interventions.
We aim to:
* Develop and evaluate information systems based on routinely collected data for safety and quality to assist clinicians and managers
* Extend the range, quality and sophistication of current data on safety and quality in the NHS
* Monitor and evaluate the use of information on quality and safety
Project Details
- Literature review of patient safety indicators research
- The use and perception of routinely collected performance data for quality assurance purposes in the NHS
- Use of routinely collected data to improve patient safety in primary care