Objectives of SIMPATIE and WP4
The objective of the SimPatIE project is to use Europe-wide networks of organizations, experts, professionals and other stakeholders to establish, within two years, a common European set of vocabulary, indicators, internal and external instruments for improvement of safety in health care. The project is divided into eight so-called work packages that all aim for more specific objectives that together contribute to the overall project objective.
The objective of this work package was the development of a vocabulary and an internal indicator set for patient safety that is to be a part of a final project toolbox for improving patient safety. This report describes the work done to establish a set of recommendable PSIs.
Results to be achieved WP4
The results to be achieved by the work package were:
- Defining a vocabulary related to patient safety, considering language, health care system organisation and economy and cultural issues across Europe
- Establishing a set of indicators / outcome measures that can be used in efforts to improve patient safety both at the system and organisation level (described in another report)
- Developing a brief rating assessment instrument for external application to provisional outputs (described in another report)
.
Deliverables fulfilled WP4
The work package delivers:
- A set of definitions of terms related to patient safety and a framework to illustrate the core terms of the vocabulary
- A set of indicators for use in efforts to improve patient safety (described in another report)
- A brief rating assessment instrument for external application to provisional outputs (see here)
.
Objectives of European Patient Safety Indicators
The patient safety indicators (PSIs) should be useful in:
- Surveillance and monitoring of the impact of patient safety activities – e.g. monitoring effects of interventions by reduced harm
.
- Identify unsafe processes of care and eventually also unsafe patient outcomes
.
- Monitor safety consequences of organisational changes in processes and/or structures on the health care system.
Furthermore the PSIs should capture important safety aspects, be scientifically sound and feasible, as recommended in the literature
(58) and from the expert group.
The PSIs are meant for use by professionals. The results achieved when the PSIs have been applied can be of use for both professionals (e.g. clinicians, organisations and planners aiming at achieving improvements in care and the processes by which patient care is provided), and laymen e.g. patient and potential patients.
