Awareness and First Aid
At ER24 we recognise that patient safety is vital to better healthcare outcomes.
Why patient safety is a priority
Patient safety is critical at ER24 because it directly impacts the quality of healthcare a patient receives. “Our focus on patient safety means we can prevent future harm, improve outcomes, comply with regulations, and build trust with patients,” says Heinrich Africa, Clinical Performance Operations Specialist: Pre-hospital EMS at ER24. “It is our ethical responsibility to place the patient’s safety at the centre of every decision we make.”
The patient safety reporting tool
ER24 uses a patient safety platform called TPSC, developed by The Patient Safety Company. This web-based tool has an easy-to-use interface for reporting, and all team members have access. To log a safety event, they simply scan a QR code or follow a link to complete a digital form, Africa explains.
“TPSC provides a way for the team to log any safety events they encounter during their day-to-day operations. Each completed form is assigned to a facility/branch, and the facility’s line manager will conduct the initial investigation.”
When a concern is identified, the line manager escalates the matter to the clinical team for review and input. After that, the event is closed on completion.
“For the duration of the TPSC event’s life, we can review it, pull trends, and reopen it based on what we find during a review. Even once it’s closed, it remains visible on the portal. We’re constantly reviewing the events from the time they’re logged until far past the completion date.”
What does the platform measure?
It is important to log both positive and negative events, says Africa. When a negative event is logged, TPSC categorises it according to its severity and the potential harm caused.
“Our events are classified into categories, called taxonomies, so we can track whether a specific category has an increased number of events. It will then become a focus area. We can also keep track of any complaints or compliments within the TPSC portal.”
Under specific circumstances/conditions, scenarios have occurred where medical equipment produced an abnormal reading or measurement, but thanks to TPSC, the team on the ground were able to report these technical issues. “With this information, we were able to work hand-in-hand with the supplier to improve the device, and bolster patient safety,” Africa assures.
Preventing negative events from reoccurring
Reporting on the TPSC platform allows ER24 to examine the event details and what caused it. Factors such as equipment, staffing, or clinical issues may be contributors.
“For the most part, this involves speaking to the practitioner and trying to understand why it happened and how it can be prevented in future,” says Africa. “It’s also important to understand whether the event is isolated or if there’s a risk of it reoccurring with the same or different practitioners in similar circumstances. Only once we have a complete understanding of the event can we decide on the appropriate way to manage everything else that follows.”
ER24 has various ways to prevent repeat incidents, such as sending out a Patient Safety Alert to everyone within the organisation. This makes all staff aware of any issue that may impact patient safety. “We also conduct coaching sessions with the specific practitioners involved to shape their thinking when faced with a similar scenario in the future. We identify any knowledge or technical gaps and implement training to cover these and improve clinical expertise.”
Fortunately, the large majority of the events to date have not resulted in harm to a patient or were near-miss incidents where there was no patient involved. However, any repeat of an event has the potential to cause harm. Being able to identify the incident through the TPSC platform lets ER24 identify the possible causes and implement corrective action. This helps to prevent the event from reoccurring, creating a much safer environment for patients.
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