How to evaluate lifelong learning skills of healthcare professionals: a systematic review on content and quality of instruments for measuring lifelong learning.

Background: Having lifelong learning skills is a necessity for healthcare professionals. To evaluate these skills, sound instruments are needed. Those working in healthcare of medical educating looking for a suitable instrument to evaluate lifelong learning (LLL) skills in healthcare professionals are faced with a multitude of definitions and operationalizations of the concept of LLL.

Patient Safety Culture and Safety Attitudes in the Estonian Context: Simultaneous Bilingual Cultural Adaptation and Validation of Instruments.

Objectives: This study aimed to simultaneously and bilingually validate the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC 2.0) and the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ).

Methods: The validation included translation, cultural adaptation, and assessment of validity and consistency.

Improving quality and patient safety in surgical care through standardisation and harmonisation of perioperative care (SAFEST project): A research protocol for a mixed methods study.

Introduction: Adverse events in health care affect 8% to 12% of patients admitted to hospitals in the European Union (EU), with surgical adverse events being the most common types reported.

Aim: SAFEST project aims to enhance perioperative care quality and patient safety by establishing and implementing widely supported evidence-based perioperative patient safety practices to reduce surgical adverse events.

Methods: We will conduct a mixed-methods hybrid type III implementation study supporting the development and adoption of evidence-based practices through a Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative (QILC) in co-creation with stakeholders.

Developing the University of Tartu in Estonia into a well-networked Patient Safety Research Centre (PATSAFE): A study protocol.

Background: Patient safety (PS) is a serious global public health problem affecting all countries. Estimates show that around 10 percent of the patients are harmed during hospital care, resulting in 23 million disability-adjusted life years lost per year. Experts emphasize research advancements as a key precondition for safer care.

Increased adherence to perioperative safety guidelines associated with improved patient safety outcomes: a stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised multicentre trial.

Background: National Dutch guidelines have been introduced to improve suboptimal perioperative care. A multifaceted implementation programme (IMPlementatie Richtlijnen Operatieve VEiligheid [IMPROVE]) has been developed to support hospitals in applying these guidelines. This study evaluated the effectiveness of IMPROVE on guideline adherence and the association between guideline adherence and patient safety.

Complexity and involvement as implementation challenges: results from a process analysis.

Background: The study objective was to analyse the implementation challenges experienced in carrying out the IMPROVE programme. This programme was designed to implement checklist-related improvement initiatives based on the national perioperative guidelines using a stepped-wedge trial design. A process analysis was carried out to investigate the involvement in the implementation activities.

Development of a tool for identifying and addressing prioritised determinants of quality improvement initiatives led by healthcare professionals: a mixed-methods study.

Background: Several frameworks have been developed to identify essential determinants for healthcare improvement. These frameworks aim to be comprehensive, leading to the creation of long lists of determinants that are not prioritised based on being experienced as most important. Furthermore, most existing frameworks do not describe the methods or actions used to identify and address the determinants, limiting their practical value.

Reducing work pressure and IT problems and facilitating IT integration and audit & feedback help adherence to perioperative safety guidelines: a survey among 95 perioperative professionals.

Background: To improve perioperative patient safety, guidelines for the preoperative, peroperative, and postoperative phase were introduced in the Netherlands between 2010 and 2013. To help the implementation of these guidelines, we aimed to get a better understanding of the barriers and drivers of perioperative guideline adherence and to explore what can be learned for future implementation projects in complex organizations.

Methods: We developed a questionnaire survey based on the theoretical framework of Van Sluisveld et al.

Prospective methods for identifying perioperative risk-assessment methods for patient safety over 20 years: a systematic review.

Background: Serious preventable surgical events still occur despite considerable efforts to improve patient safety. In addition to learning from retrospective analyses, prospective risk-assessment methods may help to decrease preventable events further by targeting perioperative hazards. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the methods used to identify perioperative patient safety risks prospectively, and to describe the risk areas targeted, the quality characteristics and feasibility of methods.

Does a Long-Term Quality and Safety Curriculum for Health Care Professionals Improve Clinical Practice? An Evaluation of Quality Improvement Projects.

Introduction: Little is known about the effects on clinical practice of continuing education quality and safety curricula. The aim of this study is to gain insight into learning outcomes on the fourth level of the Kirkpatrick evaluation model for systematically deployed quality improvement projects performed by health care professionals during a Masters in Healthcare Quality and Safety in the Netherlands.

Methods: The researchers reviewed 35 projects led by health care professionals in 16 different hospitals to determine their scopes and effects.

Development and validation of a Self-assessment Instrument for Perioperative Patient Safety (SIPPS).

Background: Patient safety is a fundamental value of healthcare to avoid patient harm. Non-compliance with patient safety standards may result in patient harm and is therefore a global concern. A Self-assessment Instrument for Perioperative Patient Safety (SIPPS) monitoring and benchmarking compliance to safety standards was validated in a multicentre pilot study.

Development of the Surgical Patient safety Observation Tool (SPOT).

Background: A Surgical Patient safety Observation Tool (SPOT) was developed and tested in a multicentre observational pilot study. The tool enables monitoring and benchmarking perioperative safety performance across departments and hospitals, covering international patient safety goals.

Methods: Nineteen perioperative patient safety observation topics were selected from Dutch perioperative patient safety guidelines, which also cover international patient safety goals.

Case-mix adjustment for diabetes indicators: a systematic review.

Objectives: Case-mix adjustment is generally considered indispensable for fair comparison of healthcare performance. Inaccurate results are also unfair to patients as they are ineffective for improving quality. However, little is known about what factors should be adjusted for.

Development and measurement of perioperative patient safety indicators.

Background: To improve perioperative patient safety, hospitals are implementing evidence-based perioperative safety guidelines. To facilitate this process, it is important to provide insight into current practice. For this purpose, we aimed to develop patient safety indicators.

The impact of a standardized incident reporting system in the perioperative setting: a single center experience on 2,563 'near-misses' and adverse events.

Background: The reduction of perioperative harm is a major priority of in-hospital health care and the reporting of incidents and their causes is an important source of information to improve perioperative patient safety. We explored the number, nature and causes of voluntarily reported perioperative incidents in order to highlight the areas where further efforts are required to improve patient safety.

Methods: Data from the Hospital Incident Management System (HIMS), entered in the period from July 2009 to July 2012, were analyzed in a Dutch university hospital.

Improving the implementation of perioperative safety guidelines using a multifaceted intervention approach: protocol of the IMPROVE study, a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial.

Background: This study is initiated to evaluate the effects, costs, and feasibility at the hospital and patient level of an evidence-based strategy to improve the use of Dutch perioperative safety guidelines. Based on current knowledge, expert opinions and expertise of the project team, a multifaceted implementation strategy has been developed.

Methods/design: This is a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial including nine representative hospitals across The Netherlands.

Meta-analysis of operative mortality and complications in patients from minority ethnic groups.

Background: Insight into the effects of ethnic disparities on patients' perioperative safety is necessary for the development of tailored improvement strategies. The aim of this study was to review the literature on safety differences between patients from minority ethnic groups and those from the ethnic majority undergoing surgery.

Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library and Embase were searched using predefined inclusion criteria for available studies from January 1990 to January 2013.

Quality of physical therapy from a patient's perspective; factor analysis on web-based survey data revealed three dimensions on patient experiences with physical therapy.

Background: Assessing quality of care from the patient's perspective has changed from patient satisfaction to the more general term patient experience, as satisfaction measures turned out to be less discriminative due to high scores. Literature describes four to ten dimensions of patient experience, tailored to specific conditions or types of care. Given the administrative burden on patients, less dimensions and items could increase feasibility.

Performance measurements in diabetes care: the complex task of selecting quality indicators.

Purpose: To review the literature on the content and development of the sets of quality indicators used in studies on the quality of diabetes care in primary care settings.

Data Sources: The MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase and CINAHL databases were searched for relevant articles published up to January 2011.

Study Selection: and data extraction We included studies on the quality of adult diabetes care, using quality indicators.

A systematic approach towards the development of a set of quality indicators for public reporting in community-based maternity care.

Objective: to demonstrate the process and outcome of a systematic approach towards the development of a set of quality indicators for public reporting on quality of community-based maternity care.

Design And Setting: a four-stepped approach was adopted. Firstly, we defined key elements of community-based maternity care, by performing a systematic search on care guidelines/ standards.

Stakeholders' perspectives on quality indicators for diabetes care: a qualitative study.

Background: Transparency in diabetes care requires quality indicators that are of interest to stakeholders in order to optimise their usage. Indicator development is often focused on consensus, and little is known about stakeholders' preferences for information on quality.

Aim: To explore the preferences of consumers, providers, purchasers and policy makers for different quality domains and indicators in relation to the intended use of quality indicators.

[Increased multimorbidity in patients in general practice in the period 2003-2009].

Objective: To determine the prevalence of chronic multimorbidity and its increase in primary care.

Design: Descriptive longitudinal study.

Method: We selected patients suffering from chronic pulmonary disease, chronic cardiovascular disease, or diabetes from a national representative general practice research database (LINH).

Knowledge and attitudes towards genetic testing: a two year follow-up study in patients with asthma, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.

Adequate knowledge and personal attitudes towards DNA-testing are major determinants of optimal utilization of genetic testing. This study aims to (1) assess the genetic knowledge and attitude towards genetic testing of patients with asthma, diabetes mellitus type II and cardiovascular diseases, (2) determine whether their knowledge or attitude changed since 2002, and (3) investigate the predictive role of knowledge on attitude. Data were collected within the Panel of Patients with Chronic Diseases in 2002 and 2004, resulting in 398 data-pairs.

School and leisure activities in adolescents and young adults with chronic digestive disorders: impact of burden of disease.

First, we compared the nature of burden of disease (i.e., manifestations of the disease in daily life) in adolescents and young adults with various chronic digestive disorders with controls.

Disease characteristics as determinants of the labour market position of adolescents and young adults with chronic digestive disorders.

Background: Job prospects can be problematic for young patients with chronic digestive disorders.

Objectives: To compare the employment status and disease burden in young adult patients with several chronic digestive disorders with healthy controls, and to determine whether labour participation depends on disease characteristics, such as type of diagnosis and burden of disease.

Participants: In total 622 patients categorized into five diagnostic groups--inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (n=274), chronic liver diseases (n=78), congenital digestive disorders (n=104), food allergy (n=77), celiac disease (n=89)--and a population-based control group (n=248), age 15-24 years.