Introduction
On 18 and 19 September 65 European participants met in Luxembourg to discuss the preliminary results of the SIMPATIE project and to draw first conclusions for patient safety in Europe. Among these participants where representatives of the European Commission, national governments, organizations, experts, medical professionals, patients and other stakeholders involved in the project.
Organisation
The Consensus Conference has been organized by the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) in close cooperation with the Dutch Institute for Healthcare Improvement (CBO), the Council of Europe (COE), the European Society for Quality in Healthcare (ESQH), Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS), the European Hospital and Healthcare Federation (HOPE), the Long Term Medical Conditions Alliance (LMCA) and Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA). The conference took place at the Jean Monnet Building in Luxembourg.
The ‘Building a Strategy for Patient Safety in Europe’ Consensus Conference is the 7th Working Package of the SIMPATIE project, which is funded by the Public Health Programme of the European Commission, DG Health and Consumer Protection. The objective of the conference was to present the preliminary results of the previous six working packages, to build consensus among the invited experts and to draw first conclusions as input for a strategy framework for patient safety in Europe. The SIMPATIE project’s objective is to assist in improving the safety of patients throughout all European countries. Appendix 2 provides extended background information on the project.
Outline
At the conference, representatives of the European wide network presented and discussed the preliminary results of the different work packages (WP’s). These WP’s included a mapping exercise with the first overview of current patient safety activities in most Member States, a common European vocabulary and a set of indicators, internal and external instruments for the improvement of safety in healthcare organisations, as well as on a national and European level.
Conclusions
Patient Safety Network
The conference participants applauded the initiative of the High Level Group on Patient Safety to create a patient safety network in Europe involving all Member States.
It was agreed that such a network would have an important role as a coordinating body in Europe, to share knowledge and solutions between the Member States and stakeholders; e.g. by introducing a solutions bank on a European level.
Involvement
It was also agreed that the voice of the patients was paramount in the process. It was stressed that patient safety activities must involve all relevant stakeholders, especially patients, patient organizations, acute and long term health care providers, healthcare professionals, patient safety organisations and insurers. The role of a possible involvement of the media as a further stakeholder in the process was briefly discussed.
National platforms
National platforms are to be introduced to reach harmonization on national level and to adapt proposed approaches to the different national, regional and local systems. Annual reports by the Ministries of Health were suggested as an additional method to actively involve the Member States in the process to maintain the profile of patient safety at a national level. To ensure the comparability of results the need for a clear vocabulary and a common inventory of patient safety indicators, e.g. as presented by the SIMPATIE consortium, was stressed by the participants.
Creating a culture of safety
With regard to reporting and risk management systems the discussions mainly focused on their scope and format. The relevance of insurance schemes to provide compensation, and the meaning of open-and-fair systems in practice were also topics that were debated. The importance of adequate competencies, state-of-the-art education, appropriate human resources and a real culture of safety were underlined as prerequisites for patient safety on national and local levels.
Feasibility
The value of investment in patient safety should therefore be highlighted for Member States and healthcare providers, thus demonstrating that there is a sound business case for introducing patient safety interventions to healthcare organizations.
A common set of indicators and instruments for internal and external evaluation is needed to be able to produce the necessary economic evidence. However the tools must be practical and easy to implement within healthcare organisations.
Clinical Governance and team approach
The issue of clinical governance needs to be included in the process, especially to give hospital managers a framework for the tools to improve patient safety within their organizations. Improved multidisciplinary team work among healthcare professionals is seen as a potential solution to the growing demand for cost-effectiveness potentially leading to an increasing volume of treatment.
Perspectives
In general the conference affirmed the relevance of and willingness for a change in culture, a fact that was expressed by the general feeling of impatience and the desire for action, notwithstanding the recognition for the need for further discussion on a European level. Given that awareness and the necessity for action are generally recognized, the logical next step would be the development and implementation of the right tools and instruments to ensure patient safety at all levels.
Based on the project contributors, as well as the different views expressed during and after the conference, a strategy framework document has been prepared, which will be published in December 2006. All comments on the draft strategy framework presented and discussed in Luxembourg submitted within the given deadline (1 October 2006) were included in the updated version.
