Strengthening open disclosure in maternity services in the English NHS: the DISCERN realist evaluation study.

Background: There is a policy drive in NHS maternity services to improve open disclosure with harmed families and limited information on how better practice can be achieved. Objectives: To identify critical factors for improving open disclosure from the perspectives of families, doctors, midwives and services and to produce actionable evidence for service improvement. Design: A three-phased, qualitative study using realist methodology. Phase 1: two literature reviews: scoping review of post-2013 NHS policy and realist synthesis of initial programme theories for improvement; an interview study with national stakeholders in NHS maternity safety and families. Phase 2: in-depth ethnographic case studies within three NHS maternity services in England. Phase 3: interpretive forums with study participants. A patient and public involvement strategy underpinned all study phases. Setting: National recruitment (study phases 1 and 3); three English maternity services (study phase 2). Participants: We completed n = 142 interviews, including 27 with families; 93 hours of ethnographic observations, including 52 service and family meetings over 9 months; and interpretive forums with approximately 69 people, including 11 families. Results: The policy review identified a shift from viewing injured families as passive recipients to active contributors of post-incident learning, but a lack of actionable guidance for improving family involvement. The realist synthesis found weak evidence of the effectiveness of open disclosure interventions in the international maternity literature, but some improvements with organisation-wide interventions. Recent evidence was predominantly from the United Kingdom. The research identified and explored five key mechanisms for open disclosure: meaningful acknowledgement of harm; involvement of those affected in reviews/investigations; support for families' own sense-making; psychological safely of skilled clinicians (doctors and midwives); and knowing that improvements to care have happened. The need for each family to make sense of the incident in their own terms is noted. The selective initiatives of some clinicians to be more open with some families is identified. The challenges of an adversarial medicolegal landscape and limited support for meeting incentivised targets is evidenced. Limitations: Research was conducted after the pandemic, with exceptional pressure on services. Case-study ethnography was of three higher performing services: generalisation from case-study findings is limited. No observations of Health Safety Investigation Branch investigations were possible without researcher access. Family recruitment did not reflect population diversity with limited representation of non-white families, families with disabilities and other socially marginalised groups and disadvantaged groups. Conclusions: We identify the need for service-wide systems to ensure that injured families are positioned at the centre of post-incident events, ensure appropriate training and post-incident care of clinicians, and foster ongoing engagement with families beyond the individual efforts made by some clinicians for some families. The need for legislative revisions to promote openness with families across NHS organisations, and wider changes in organisational family engagement practices, is indicated. Examination of how far the study's findings apply to different English maternity services, and a wider rethinking of how family diversity can be encouraged in maternity services research. Study registration: This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42020164061. The study has been assessed following RAMESES realist guidelines. Funding: This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research Programme (NIHR award ref: 17/99/85) and is published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 12, No. 22. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

This study describes the experiences of families and healthcare professionals involved in incidents in NHS maternity care. The incidents caused harm-like injury or death to the baby or woman. We wanted to know whether services involved families in investigations and reviews and how this was done, what worked well, what did not work well and why. To do this, we first looked at what had already been written about 'open disclosure' or OD. Open disclosure is when the NHS admits to families that the care they provided has directly caused harm. After open disclosure occurs, families should be involved in making sure that the NHS learns so it can deliver better care for families in the future. In our reading, we found that families want a meaningful apology, to be involved in reviews or investigations, to know what happened to their loved one, to be cared for by knowledgeable doctors and midwives who are supported in providing open disclosure and to know things have changed because of what happened. Recommendations for involving families in open disclosure have improved, but there is still work to be done to make sure families are involved. Next, we talked to over 100 healthcare professionals involved in government policy for open disclosure in maternity services and 27 families who experienced harm. We spent 9 months observing the work of clinicians at three maternity services to watch open disclosure. We shared early findings with families, doctors, midwives and managers, and included their views. We found that services need to provide dedicated time, education and emotional support for staff who provide open disclosure. Services need to ensure that families have ongoing support and better communication about incidents. Finally, families must be involved in the review process if they want to be with their experiences reflected in reports and kept informed of ongoing improvements.

Incorporating environmental and sustainability considerations into health technology assessment and clinical and public health guidelines: a scoping review.

Healthcare systems account for a substantial proportion of global carbon emissions and contribute to wider environmental degradation. This scoping review aimed to summarize the evidence currently available on incorporation of environmental and sustainability considerations into health technology assessments (HTAs) and guidelines to support the National In stitute for Health and Care Excellence and analogous bodies in other jurisdictions developing theirown methods and processes. Overall, 7,653 articles were identified, of which 24 were included in this review and split into three key areas - HTA (10 studies), healthcare guidelines (4 studies), and food and dietary guidelines (10 studies). Methodological reviews discussed the pros and cons of different approaches to integrate environmental considerations into HTAs, including adjustments to conventional cost-utility analysis (CUA), cost-benefit analysis, and multicriteria decision analysis. The case studies illustrated the challenges of putting this into practice, such as lack of disaggregated data to evaluate the impact of single technologies and difficulty in conducting thorough life cycle assessments that consider the full environmental effects. Evidence was scant on the incorporation of environmental impacts in clinical practice and public health guidelines. Food and dietary guidelines used adapted CUA based on life cycle assessments, simulation modeling, and qualitative judgments made by expert panels. There is uncertainty on how HTA and guideline committees will handle trade-offs between health and environment, especially when balancing environmental harms that fall largely on society with health benefits for individuals. Further research is warranted to enable integration of environmental considerations into HTA and clinical and public health guidelines.

Modelo lógico para os ciclos de melhoria da estratégia saúde da família / Logical model to improvement cycles of the family health strategy / Modelo logico para los ciclos de mejora de la estrategia de salud familiar

Introdução:Em saúde pública deve-se considerar dados epidemiológicos e métodos de avaliação da assistência com o intuito de promover melhoria. Nesta perspectiva, há os modelos lógicos que associam atividades, entradas de recursos, saídas de produtos e resultados. Objetivo:Construir um modelo lógico ilustrativo do funcionamento de uma Unidade de Saúde da Família e validar o seu conteúdo. Metodologia:Foi realizada revisão de literatura, observação participante e conversa com informantes-chave. Ademais, houve validação do conteúdo por profissionais atuantes na Unidade de Saúde da Famíliaem uma roda de conversa. Resultados:Elaborou-se cinco dimensões (Gestão do Trabalho, Atividades não assistenciais, Atividades assistenciais, Educação permanente continuada e Atividades docentes assistenciais) relacionadas à missão e aos elementos de recursos (físicos, informação, parcerias e financeiros), caracterizando, assim, o modelo. Conclusões:Os impactos alcançados com a aplicação do modelo remetem a critérios de qualidade (legitimidade, empoderamento e resolutividade); ao modelo assistencial instituído (vigilância à saúde); a características do próprio modelo (Clínica ampliada, intersetorialidade, ações multiprofissionais), além da motivação profissional. Todavia, embora validado por Unidade de Saúde da Famíliaespecífica, o modelo orienta-se por uma Política Nacional, podendo contribuir para outras Unidades de Saúde da Família de diferentes localidades (AU).

Introduction:In public health, in order to improve quality, epidemiological data and methods for evaluation of care should be considered. Logical models that associate activities, expenditure of resources, output of products, and results can be a useful assessment tool. Objective:To designand validate a logical model representingthe operationof a Family HealthcareUnit. Methodology:A literature review was initially performed, followed by participant observation and conversation with key informants. In addition, model was validated by professionals working at the Family HealthcareUnit (FHU) in a conversation roundtable. Results:Five dimensions were conceived: Work management;Noncare-related activities;Care-related activities; Permanent education;and In-service teaching, which relate to the mission of the service and the relevant resources (physical, information, partnerships and financial), thus constituting the model. Conclusions:The impacts achieved with the application of the model concernthe quality criteria (legitimacy, empowerment andproblem-solving capacity); the instituted healthcare model (active surveillance); features of the model itself (extended clinic, intersectoriality, multiprofessional actions); as well as professional motivation. Although themodel was validated only in a local Health Center, it follows a National Policy and may contribute to quality improvement of other Health Centersfrom different areas (AU).

Introducción: En salud pública, se deben considerar los datos epidemiológicos y los métodos de evaluación de la atención para promover la mejora. En esta perspectiva, existen modelos lógicos que asocian actividades, insumos de recursos, productos y resultados.Objetivo: Construir un modelo lógico que ilustre el funcionamiento de una unidad de salud familiar y validar su contenido. Metodología: Se realizó una revisión de la literatura, observación participante y conversación con informantes clave. Además, el contenido fue validado por profesionales que trabajan en la Unidad de Salud Familiar (FHU) en un círculo de conversación. Resultados: Se elaboraron cinco dimensiones (gestión del trabajo, actividades de no asistencia, actividades de asistencia, educación continua y actividades de asistencia a la enseñanza) relacionadas con la misión y los elementos de los recursos (físicos, de información, asociaciones y financieros), caracterizando, así, la modelo. Conclusiones: Los impactos logrados con la aplicación del modelo se refieren a criterios de calidad (legitimidad, empoderamiento y resolución); el modelo de atención establecido (vigilancia de la salud); las características del modelo en sí (clínica ampliada, intersectorialidad, acciones multiprofesionales), además de la motivación profesional. Sin embargo, aunque validado por una Centro de Saludespecífica, el modelo está guiado por una Política Nacional y puede contribuir a otrasCentros de Saludem diferentes ubicaciones (AU).

Primary Care Records of Chronic-Disease Patient Adherence to Treatment.

The goal of managing adherence (AD) is to achieve better medication use by patients in order to maximize benefits and reduce risks. With the aim of improving treatment adherence by patients, we carried out a descriptive study to obtain information related to adherence management in primary care. Inclusion criteria were as follows: patients that had at least one record of any treatment adherence assessment variable. For those that had more than one recorded variable, we analyzed consistency across test results. For the comparative analysis of adherence records, patients were categorized into three groups on the basis of the healthcare unit that recorded the data: case management (CM), home care (HC), and primary care team (PCT). A total of 32,137 subjects met inclusion criteria; 79.56% of subjects were older than 65. As for the analysis of assessment records across care units, 69.73% of CM patients, 67.17% of HC patients, and 2.33% of PCT patients had adherence assessment records. CM units made a significantly greater number of records than HC units. We observed low adherence at a rate of 49.3% in the CM group, 31.91% in the HC group, and 17.58% in the PCT group. When more than one adherence variable was recorded, analysis revealed inconsistent test results or recorded variables in 9.06% of PCT cases, 14.83% of HC cases, and 20.47% of CM cases. The inconsistencies observed in records of adherence assessment and management across different care units reveal the huge variability that exists in managing and selecting a tool to assess adherence.

Delta Studies: Expanding the Concept of Deviance Studies to Design More Effective Improvement Interventions.

BACKGROUND: The effects of improvement (implementation and de-implementation) interventions are often modest. Although positive and negative deviance studies have been extensively used in improvement science and quality improvement efforts, conceptual and methodological innovations are needed to improve our ability to use information about variation in quality to design more effective interventions. OBJECTIVE: We describe a novel mixed methods extension of the deviance study we term "delta studies." Delta studies seek to quantitatively identify sites that have recently changed from low performers to high performers, or vice versa, in order to qualitatively learn about active strategies that produced recent change, challenges change agents faced and how they overcame them, and where applicable, the causes of recent deterioration in performance-information intended to inform the design of improvement interventions for deployment in low performing sites. We provide examples of lessons learned from this method that may have been missed with traditional positive or negative deviance designs. DESIGN: Considerations for quantitatively identifying delta sites are described including which quality metrics to track, over what timeframe to observe change, how to account for reliability of observed change, consideration of patient volume and initial performance as implementation context factors, and how to define clinically meaningful change. Methods to adapt qualitative protocols by integrating quantitative information about change in performance are also presented. We provide sample data and R code that can be used to graphically display distributions of initial status, change, and volume that are essential to delta studies. PARTICIPANTS: Patients and facilities of the US Veterans Health Administration. KEY RESULTS: As an example, we discuss what decisions we made regarding the delta study design considerations in a funded study of low-value preoperative testing. The method helped us find sites that had recently reduced the burden of low-value testing, and learn about the strategies they employed and challenges they faced. CONCLUSIONS: The delta study concept is a promising mixed methods innovation to efficiently and effectively identify improvement strategies and other factors that have actually produced change in real-world settings.

Evaluation and prospect of scientific research capacity ranking for community healthcare centres in China.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China has proposed to improve the medical capacity of general practitioners and the establishment of general practice in recent health reform. For the first time, the ability to conduct scientific research was included in this reform, which demands community healthcare centres (CHCs) to strengthen their research capacity. The evaluation of community scientific research capacity has become an important endeavour to promote the implementation of research in CHCs. Since 2016, our research team has been working on an evaluation system and has published the scientific research capacity ranking for the top 100 CHCs in China. The latest released ranking of scientific research capacities of China CHCs has aroused great attention in the country.

Development of quality indicators for type 2 diabetes, extractable from the electronic health record of the general physician. A rand-modified Delphi method.

AIMS: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a worldwide cause of significant morbidity and mortality. The general physician (GP) plays an important role in managing this disease and the use of the electronic health record (EHR) can improve quality for type 2 diabetes care. We aimed to develop a set of evidence-based and EHR extractable quality indicators for type 2 diabetes, enabling an automated quality assessment. METHODS: We used a Rand-modified Delphi method. Recommendations were selected from (inter)national guidelines using the 'SMART' principle and scored by a multidisciplinary expert panel. After analysis of the median score, prioritization and consensus, recommendations were discussed during a consensus meeting. A final validation round resulted in a core set of recommendations, which were transformed into quality indicators. RESULTS: A total of 101 recommendations originating from 10 (inter)national guidelines were presented to the expert panel, which resulted in a core set of 50 recommendations that were merged and modified into 36 recommendations after the consensus meeting. The panel added 3 recommendations. This resulted in a final set of 39 quality indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Our study presents a set of 39 quality indicators for type 2 diabetes in primary care that are EHR extractable, enabling automated quality assessment.

The Israel National Bariatric Surgery Registry: the inception process.

BACKGROUND: Obesity rates in Israel are increasing, and so is the popularity of bariatric surgeries, which reached in 2017 a prevalence rate of 1428.7 surgeries per million citizens. However, data regarding patient characteristics and surgery outcomes, including complications, are limited and the procedure requires monitoring. OBJECTIVES: To establish a national bariatric surgery registry with high reliability and validity. SETTING: All private and public medical centers performing bariatric surgeries in the state of Israel. METHODS: The Israeli Bariatric Surgery Registry (IBSR) was established in June 2013 by the Israel Center for Disease Control in the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Israel Bariatric Surgery Society. An official directive of the Director General of the Ministry of Health as of 2013 made reporting of all bariatric surgeries carried out in Israel mandatory. The bariatric surgery centers relay clinical and surgical information to the IBSR. Presurgery and follow-up outcome information was retrieved from all 4 health maintenance organizations. RESULTS: All 32 certified bariatric units report to the national IBSR. National reporting rates increased from 46.3% in 2013 to 98.7% in 2017. Adherence to bariatric surgery guidelines also increased from 72.8% in 2013 to 98.7% in 2017, and fewer patients not fulfilling the guidelines underwent bariatric surgeries in 2017. Importantly, the considerable annual preregistry increase in surgical procedures has been halted. Registry data regarding obesity-related co-morbidities were validated against hospital files with high Cohen's kappa coefficients for hypertension (r = .8), diabetes (r = .8), and sleep apnea (r = .7). CONCLUSIONS: The national IBSR is an identified, validated, mandatory database with access to other national databases, which enables quality assurance of bariatric surgeries in Israel and short- and long-term postoperative follow-up.

A Taxonomy for Survey Measures Used to Evaluate Complex Digital Health Innovations.

Evaluators need to measure whether innovations help patients and staff, but have lacked the tools needed to do this as part of routine care. We provide a taxonomy for the classification of survey measures, which can be used together on a pick and mix basis. These are described in the context of the evaluation of digital health innovations.

Can we understand population healthcare needs using electronic medical records?

INTRODUCTION: The identification of population-level healthcare needs using hospital electronic medical records (EMRs) is a promising approach for the evaluation and development of tailored healthcare services. Population segmentation based on healthcare needs may be possible using information on health and social service needs from EMRs. However, it is currently unknown if EMRs from restructured hospitals in Singapore provide information of sufficient quality for this purpose. We compared the inter-rater reliability between a population segment that was assigned prospectively and one that was assigned retrospectively based on EMR review. METHODS: 200 non-critical patients aged ≥ 55 years were prospectively evaluated by clinicians for their healthcare needs in the emergency department at Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. Trained clinician raters with no prior knowledge of these patients subsequently accessed the EMR up to the prospective rating date. A similar healthcare needs evaluation was conducted using the EMR. The inter-rater reliability between the two rating sets was evaluated using Cohen's Kappa and the incidence of missing information was tabulated. RESULTS: The inter-rater reliability for the medical 'global impression' rating was 0.37 for doctors and 0.35 for nurses. The inter-rater reliability for the same variable, retrospectively rated by two doctors, was 0.75. Variables with a higher incidence of missing EMR information such as 'social support in case of need' and 'patient activation' had poorer inter-rater reliability. CONCLUSION: Pre-existing EMR systems may not capture sufficient information for reliable determination of healthcare needs. Thus, we should consider integrating policy-relevant healthcare need variables into EMRs.

Can we understand population healthcare needs using electronic medical records?

INTRODUCTION@#The identification of population-level healthcare needs using hospital electronic medical records (EMRs) is a promising approach for the evaluation and development of tailored healthcare services. Population segmentation based on healthcare needs may be possible using information on health and social service needs from EMRs. However, it is currently unknown if EMRs from restructured hospitals in Singapore provide information of sufficient quality for this purpose. We compared the inter-rater reliability between a population segment that was assigned prospectively and one that was assigned retrospectively based on EMR review.@*METHODS@#200 non-critical patients aged ≥ 55 years were prospectively evaluated by clinicians for their healthcare needs in the emergency department at Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. Trained clinician raters with no prior knowledge of these patients subsequently accessed the EMR up to the prospective rating date. A similar healthcare needs evaluation was conducted using the EMR. The inter-rater reliability between the two rating sets was evaluated using Cohen's Kappa and the incidence of missing information was tabulated.@*RESULTS@#The inter-rater reliability for the medical 'global impression' rating was 0.37 for doctors and 0.35 for nurses. The inter-rater reliability for the same variable, retrospectively rated by two doctors, was 0.75. Variables with a higher incidence of missing EMR information such as 'social support in case of need' and 'patient activation' had poorer inter-rater reliability.@*CONCLUSION@#Pre-existing EMR systems may not capture sufficient information for reliable determination of healthcare needs. Thus, we should consider integrating policy-relevant healthcare need variables into EMRs.

Programa de transplante de fígado: estrutura, processo e resultados / Liver transplantation programme: structure, process and outcomes

Esse estudo de caso teve como objetivo analisar a estrutura, o processo de trabalho e os resultados do Programa de Transplante de Fígado de um hospital universitário do interior paulista, em 2017. Foram analisados 325 prontuários de pacientes submetidos ao transplante de fígado no período de abril de 2001 a junho de 2016. Elegeu-se as variáveis sociodemográficas, clínicas, de tratamento, de estrutura, de processo e de resultados. Para a coleta de dados foram utilizados três formulários e um diário de campo. Para a análise dos dados quantitativos e qualitativos utilizou-se a abordagem de Avaliação em Saúde proposta por Donabedian (1980), a Resolução de Diretoria Colegiada º 50/2002 e a Portaria º 356/2014. Para o cálculo da sobrevida do paciente utilizou-se o método de Kaplan-Meyer e o Modelo de Regressão de Cox. Para o cálculo da sobrevida do enxerto utilizou-se o método de Kaplan-Meyer e o modelo de Regressão de Riscos Competitivos. Os resultados mostraram que a maioria dos pacientes era homens, adultos de meia idade, com comorbidades prévia, doença hepática moderada ou grave, complicações imediatas e tardias com baixa probabilidade de sobrevida. Quanto a estrutura o Programa atendeu em parte as recomendações para os componentes da estrutura organizacional-física (58,3%), organizacional de recursos humanos (55,6%), estrutural-física para funcionários e alunos (60,0%) e estrutural-física do ambulatório (50,0%). Em relação ao processo de atendimento identificou-se lacunas de documentos e ou diretrizes que norteiam a equipe de saúde no processo de trabalho. No que se refere aos indicadores de resultados, o número de transplantes sofreu alteração devido a fatores extrínsecos e intrínsecos. A maioria dos pacientes permaneceu em lista de espera por até 12 meses. Os pacientes encontravam-se em gravidade moderada a alta e probabilidade de mortalidade de 76%. O tempo de isquemia fria variou de 240 a 970 minutos, média de 499 (±112,0) minutos. A sobrevida do paciente após um, três e cinco anos de transplante foi de 66,4%, 60,4% e 56,5%, respectivamente, e a incidência acumulada para perda do enxerto foi da ordem de 10%. A maioria dos pacientes foi internada ao menos uma vez no primeiro ano após o transplante e os motivos principais foram relacionados a terapia de imunossupressão e as complicações cirúrgicas. Mais da metade (53,6%) dos pacientes estavam em seguimento ambulatorial no Programa e 43,7% evoluíram à óbito. O óbito foi relacionado, em sua maioria, ao choque séptico ou hipovolêmico. Conclui-se que os indicadores encontrados no presente estudo estão, em parte, de acordo com a legislação vigente sobre um Programa de Transplante de Fígado e que os indicadores de resultados precisam ser repensados para o fortalecimento e a consolidação do Programa no hospital estudado

The objective of this study was analyze structure, work process and outcomes of the Liver Transplantation Programme in a teaching hospital in Sao Paulo state's interior in 2017. It was analyzed 325 patients' records which were submitted to liver transplantation from April 2011 to June 2016. Sociodemographic, clinical, treatment, structure, process and outcomes were the variables chosen in this study. Three forms and a field diary were used how strategy to data collection. Qualitative and quantitative data have analyzed using Healthcare Evaluation approach purposed by Donabedian (1980), the Directors' Collegiate Resolution n. 50/2002 and Ministerial Order n. 356/2014. Kaplan-Meyer method and Cox Regression Model were used to estimate the patient survival rate. Kaplan-Meyer Method and Competing Risks Regression Model were used to calculate the graft survival. Study results showed that most patients were men, mid-aged adults, with previous comorbidities, moderate or severe liver disease, immediate and late complications with survival probability decreased. Regarding structure the Programme reached partially the recommendations of components physical-organizational structure (58.3%), organizational of human resources (55.6%), structural-physical to employers and students (60.0%) and structural-physical of clinic (50.0%). With respect to healthcare process was identified clinicals protocols absences as well as guidelines which should lead the healthcare providers in the working process. Regarding to outcomes indicators, the transplantation numbers suffered changes due intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Most patients remained in waiting list for until 12 months. The patients presented from moderate to high severity and the probability of mortality was 76% for them. The cold ischemic time range was from 240 to 970 minutes, with mean 499 (±112,0) minutes. The patient survival after one, three and five years after transplantation was 66.4%, 60.4%, 56.5%, respectively. The cumulative incidence to loss graft have been 10%. The most patients were hospitalized at least once in the first year after transplantation and the principal causes were related to immunosuppressive therapy and surgical complications. At the end of the study, more than half of patients (53.6%) were in clinical Programme follow-up and 43.7% had died. The most deaths were related with septic or hypovolemic shock. Therefore, is possible conclude that the indicators found in this investigation were, partially, according with Brazilian Current Law recommendations about Liver Transplantation Programs. The outcomes indicators should be rethought to promote strengthening and consolidation of Programme in the Hospital studied

EXPLORATION AND PREFERENTIAL RANKING OF PATIENT BENEFITS OF MEDICAL DEVICES: A NEW AND GENERIC INSTRUMENT FOR HEALTH ECONOMIC ASSESSMENTS.

OBJECTIVES: For medical devices, benefits other than direct clinical effects may have a large impact on the patients' well-being, but a standardized method for measuring these benefits is unavailable. The objective was to explore potential patient benefits provided by medical devices, and to assess the relative preferences of these benefits in the general Swedish population. METHODS: To identify attributes of patient benefit, healthcare personnel within a wide range of disease areas were interviewed. The generalized attributes were then validated among healthcare personnel, patient organizations, and manufacturers; in two pilot studies in the general population; and in two rounds of cognitive interviews. The general population's preferences of the attributes were measured with a usability-tested questionnaire in a final responding sample of 3,802 individuals, representative of the Swedish population. RESULTS: Twenty attributes were identified, encompassing aspects of integrity, sense of security, social participation, and convenience. When measuring the relative preferences, the response rate was 37.0 percent, and the results showed that the attributes with the highest preferences concerned reliability, reduced need for assistance, and sense of control of the illness/disability. CONCLUSIONS: A set of twenty attributes of patient benefit relevant to users of medical devices was identified and validated. A questionnaire for patient-reported assessment of the benefits provided by a medical device was developed, based on the attributes. The questionnaire, designated MedTech20, provides a generic measurement method for the evaluation of medical devices used in a wide range of diseases/disabilities.

Patients' evaluations of patient safety in English general practices: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Description of safety problems and harm in general practices has previously relied on information from health professionals, with scarce attention paid to experiences of patients. AIM: To examine patient-reported experiences and outcomes of patient safety in primary care. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study in 45 general practices across five regions in the north, centre, and south of England. METHOD: A version of the Patient Reported Experiences and Outcomes of Safety in Primary Care (PREOS-PC) questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 6736 patients. Main outcome measures included 'practice activation' (what a practice does to create a safe environment); 'patient activation' (how proactive are patients in ensuring safe healthcare delivery); 'experiences of safety events' (safety errors); 'outcomes of safety' (harm); and 'overall perception of safety' (how safe patients rate their practice). RESULTS: Questionnaires were returned by 1244 patients (18.4%). Scores were high for 'practice activation' (mean [standard error] = 80.4 out of 100 [2.0]) and low for 'patient activation' (26.3 out of 100 [2.6]). Of the patients, 45% reported experiencing at least one safety problem in the previous 12 months, mostly related to appointments (33%), diagnosis (17%), patient provider communication (15%), and coordination between providers (14%). Twenty-three per cent of the responders reported some degree of harm in the previous 12 months. The overall assessment of level of safety of practices was generally high (86.0 out of 100 [16.8]). CONCLUSION: Priority areas for patient safety improvement in general practices in England include appointments, diagnosis, communication, coordination, and patient activation.

Health services should collect feedback from inpatients at the point of service: opinions from patients and staff in acute and subacute facilities.

OBJECTIVE: Point of service feedback (POSF) enables patients to give health services feedback about their experiences during or immediately after care. Despite the increasing use of POSF, little is known regarding patients' and staffs' opinions of this practice and whether they consider it acceptable or useful. The study aimed to determine patient and staff opinions regarding POSF. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Acute and subacute healthcare facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and forty-seven patients and 221 staff. RESULTS: Participants indicated that patients should be invited to evaluate health services when they are in hospital or subacute care and improving services was the most important reason for doing so. Staff indicated that: collecting patients' feedback during their stay was an important part of providing care and not an interruption to it (n = 187 of 221, 85%); collecting patients' feedback was best done with a variety of methods; talking directly with patients during their stay was the preferred option (n = 161 of 219, 74%). More patients preferred to: give feedback during their stay (51%) than after discharge from care (15%); give feedback by talking with someone (45%) than completing a questionnaire (31%). Some patients (14%) were concerned about reprisals from staff if they gave negative feedback. CONCLUSIONS: POSF can be acceptable and useful for evaluating health services and should be incorporated into a person-centred approach that allows patients to choose from a variety of feedback options both during and after their stay. To be most useful, feedback should be incorporated into a quality improvement system.

A Sociotechnical Approach to Evaluating the Impact of ICT on Clinical Care Environments.

INTRODUCTION: Process-supporting information technology holds the potential to increase efficiency, reduce errors, and alter professional roles and responsibilities in a manner which allows improvement in the delivery of patient care. However, clashes between the model of health care work inscribed in these tools with the actual nature of work has resulted in staff resistance and decreased organisational uptake of ICT, as well as the facilitation of unexpected and negative effects in efficiency and patient safety. Sociotechnical theory provides a paradigm against which workflow and transfusion of ICT in healthcare could be better explored and understood. DESIGN: This paper will conceptualise a formative, multi-method longitudinal evaluation process to explore the impact of ICT with an appreciation of the relationship between the social and technical systems within a clinical department. METHOD: Departmental culture, including clinical work processes and communication patterns will be thoroughly explored before system implementation using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Findings will be compared with post implementation data, which will incorporate measurement of safety and workflow efficiency indicators. DISCUSSION: Sociotechnical theory provides a paradigm against which workflow and transfusion of ICT in healthcare could be better explored and understood. However, sociotechnical and multimethod approaches to evaluation do not exist without criticism. Inherent in the protocol are limitations of sociotechnical theory and criticism of the multimethod approach; testing of the methodology in real clinical settings will serve to verify efficacy and refine the process.