Exploring the impact of compassion and leadership on patient safety and quality in healthcare systems: a narrative review.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety and healthcare quality are considered integral parts of the healthcare system that are driven by a dynamic combination of human and non-human factors. This review article provides an insight into the two major human factors that impact patient safety and quality including compassion and leadership. It also discusses how compassion is different from empathy and explores the impact of both compassion and leadership on patient safety and healthcare quality. In addition, this review also provides strategies for the improvement of patient safety and healthcare quality through compassion and effective leadership. METHODS: This narrative review explores the existing literature on compassion and leadership and their combined impact on patient safety and healthcare quality. The literature for this purpose was gathered from published research articles, reports, recommendations and guidelines. RESULTS: The findings from the literature suggest that both compassion and transformational leadership can create a positive culture where healthcare professionals (HCPs) prioritise patient safety and quality. Leaders who exhibit compassion are more likely to inspire their teams to deliver patient-centred care and focus on error prevention. CONCLUSION: Compassion can become an antidote for the burnout of HCPs. Compassion is a behaviour that is not only inherited but can also be learnt. Both compassionate care and transformational leadership improve organisational culture, patient experience, patient engagement, outcomes and overall healthcare excellence. We propose that transformational leadership that reinforces compassion remarkably improves patient safety, patient engagement and quality.

Regional perspectives on patient safety policies and initiatives: a focus group study with patient safety leaders in the Middle East and Asian regions.

Preventing and reducing risks and harm to patients is of critical importance as unsafe care is a leading cause of death and disability globally. However, the lack of consolidated information on patient safety policies and initiatives at regional levels represents an evidence gap with implications for policy and planning. The aim of the study was to answer the question of what patient safety policies and initiatives are currently in place in the Middle East and Asian regions and what were the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in developing these. A qualitative approach using online focus groups was adopted. Participants attended focus groups beginning in August 2022. A topic guide was developed using a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats framework analysis approach. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used to ensure the recommended standards of qualitative data reporting were met. 21 participants from 11 countries participated in the study. Current patient safety policies identified were categorised across 5 thematic areas and initiatives were categorised across a further 10 thematic areas. Strengths of patient safety initiatives included enabling healthcare worker training, leadership commitment in hospitals, and stakeholder engagement and collaboration. Weaknesses included a disconnect between health delivery and education, implementation gaps, low clinical awareness and buy-in at the facility level, and lack of leadership engagement. Just culture, safety by design and education were considered opportunities, alongside data collection and reporting for research and shared learning. Future threats were low leadership commitment, changing leadership, poor integration across the system, a public-private quality gap and political instability in some contexts. Undertaking further research regionally will enable shared learning and the development of best practice examples. Future research should explore the development of policies and initiatives for patient safety at the provider, local and national levels that can inform action across the system.

Visual and Topographical Outcomes Following Accelerated Trans-Epithelial Corneal Crosslinking in Progressive Keratoconus.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the visual and topographical outcomes following accelerated trans-epithelial corneal crosslinking (TE-CXL) in progressive keratoconus. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Laser Vision Centre, Karachi, from January 2015 to December 2016. METHODOLOGY: Forty-five eyes of 25 patients affected with progressive keratoconus and treated with accelerated TE-CXL with riboflavin (vitamin B2) and ultra-violet A(UV-A) irradiation were enrolled in this study. The visual outcome was measured by ETDRS chart as improvement in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of at least one line or more as compared to pre-CXLBCVA. The topographical outcome was measured as decrease in maximum simulated keratometry values, astigmatism and spherical equivalent (SE) and an increase in central corneal thickness (CCT). K-max was defined as the steepest radius of curvature of the anterior corneal surface. SE was measured by subjective refraction, and K-max, astigmatism and CCTby scanning-slit corneal topography. Patients were followed-up 12 months post-treatment. RESULTS: At the end of follow-ups, mean BCVAshowed improvement of one line from LogMAR 0.58 ±0.067 to LogMAR 0.48 ±0.077. Seven (15.5%) eyes showed two lines of improvement while 3 (6.7%) eyes showed worsening of one line in BCVA. The mean K-max flattened by 0.7D. Mean astigmatism and SE decreased up to -0.5D and -0.4D, respectively. Mean preoperative CCTwas 454.31 ±36.34 µm, whereas mean postoperative CCTwas 456.47 ±35.60 µm with an average increase of 2.15 µm. No postoperative complications were reported. CONCLUSION: Based on topographical outcomes, accelerated TE-CXL is effective in preventing the progression of keratoconus without any safety concerns with improvement of vision in majority of cases.

Outcomes of transconjunctival sutureless 27-gauge micro-incision vitrectomy surgery in diabetic vitreous haemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the visual outcomes of 27-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy surgery and its complications in patients with diabetic vitreous hemorrhage. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted where eighty seven eyes of 87 uncontrolled type II diabetes mellitus patients presenting with diabetic vitreous hemorrhage were selected to undergo 27-gauge transconjunctival sutureless micro-incision vitrectomy surgery. Main outcome measured was best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Post-operative complications were also screened for at each visit. The follow ups were at post-operative day one, one month, three months and six months respectively. RESULTS: Out of 87 patients, 52 (59.8%) were males and 35 (40.2%) were females. The mean age of the patients was 52.32 ± 6.78 years (95% CI: 53.13 - 55.57). For most of the patients, the BCVA improved progressively with each subsequent follow up visit. Pre-operative BCVA was 1.01 ± 0.206 logMar, compared to BCVA at final follow up of 0.44 ± 0.231 (p-value < 0.001). Six (6.9%) patients developed recurrent vitreous hemorrhage during the study period, four (4.6%) developed cataract, one (1.1%) had increased intraocular pressure and sub conjunctival hemorrhage was present in two (2.3%). CONCLUSION: 27-gauge micro-incision vitrectomy surgery is an effective sutureless surgery with favorable outcomes, in terms of vision, in patients with diabetic vitreous hemorrhage. The associated complications are few which can be easily managed.

Visual and Anatomical Outcomes Following Idiopathic Macular Epiretinal Membrane Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the visual and anatomical outcomes following idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane (IERM) surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Layton Rehmatulla Benevolent Trust (L.R.B.T), Free Base Eye Hospital, Karachi, from January 2015 to June 2016. METHODOLOGY: Thirty eyes of thirty patients affected with idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane stage 2 were enrolled in this study. They subsequently underwent 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with epiretinal membrane removal without internal limiting membrane peeling. The visual outcome was measured as improvement in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of at least two or more lines on ETDRS chart as compared to preoperative BCVA. The anatomical outcome was measured as decrease in foveal thickness on Spectral Domain-Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT). Patients were followed for a period of 06 months. RESULTS: At the end of follow-ups, 23 (76%) eyes out of 30 gained 2 or more lines of vision. In 05 (16%) eyes, BCVA remained same and only 02 (6.6%) eyes showed worsening of vision. Mean preoperative foveal thickness was 392 ±20 µm, whereas mean postoperative thickness was 305 ±16 µm with an average decrease of 87 µm, in foveal thickness. Recurrence of ERM was found to be the most frequent complication. CONCLUSION: IERM surgery is a safe procedure and beneficial in achieving significant visual acuity improvement and anatomical recovery in the majority of cases.