A research agenda on patient safety in primary care. Recommendations by the LINNEAUS collaboration on patient safety in primary care.

Background: Healthcare can cause avoidable serious harm to patients. Primary care is not an exception, and the relative lack of research in this area lends urgency to a better understanding of patient safety, the future research agenda and the development of primary care oriented safety programmes.

Objective: To outline a research agenda for patient safety improvement in primary care in Europe and beyond.

Patient safety improvement programmes for primary care. Review of a Delphi procedure and pilot studies by the LINNEAUS collaboration on patient safety in primary care.

Background: To improve patient safety it is necessary to identify the causes of patient safety incidents, devise solutions and measure the (cost-) effectiveness of improvement efforts.

Objective: This paper provides a broad overview with practical guidance on how to improve patient safety.

Methods: We used modified online Delphi procedures to reach consensus on methods to improve patient safety and to identify important features of patient safety management in primary care.

Organisational targets of patient safety improvement programs in primary care; an international web-based survey.

Background: Organisational problems contribute to many errors in healthcare delivery. Our objective was to identify the most important organisational items in primary care which could be targeted by programs to improve patient safety.

Methods: A web-based survey was undertaken in an international panel of 65 experts on patient safety from 20 countries.

Are health professionals' perceptions of patient safety related to figures on safety incidents?

Objective: The study aims to explore whether health care professionals' perceptions of patient safety in their practice were associated with the number of patient safety incidents identified in patient records.

Setting: Seventy primary care practices of general practice, general dental practice, midwifery practices and allied health care practices were used in the study.

Methods: A retrospective audit of 50 patient records was performed to identify patient safety incidents in each of the practices and a survey among health professionals to identify their perceptions of patient safety.

Complaints against family physicians submitted to disciplinary tribunals in the Netherlands: lessons for patient safety.

PURPOSE We analyzed the disciplinary law verdicts concerning family physicians, submitted to the Dutch disciplinary law system, to identify domains of high risk of harm for patients in family practice. METHODS The Dutch disciplinary law system offers patients the opportunity to file complaints against physicians outside a legal malpractice system, without possibility of financial compensation in case of verdicts in which the physician was found to be at fault. We performed an analysis of 250 random disciplinary law verdicts on Dutch family physicians submitted to disciplinary tribunals and published between 2008 and 2010.

Patient safety in primary allied health care: what can we learn from incidents in a Dutch exploratory cohort study?

Background: Research on patient safety in allied healthcare is scarce. Our aim was to document patient safety in primary allied healthcare in the Netherlands and to identify factors associated with incidents. DESIGN AND SUBJECT: A retrospective study of 1000 patient records in a representative sample of 20 allied healthcare practices was combined with a prospective incident-reporting study.

What do primary care physicians and researchers consider the most important patient safety improvement strategies?

Background: Although it has been increasingly recognised that patient safety in primary care is important, little is known about the feasibility and effectiveness of different strategies to improve patient safety in primary care. In this study, we aimed to identify the most important strategies by consulting an international panel of primary care physicians and researchers.

Methods: A web-based survey was undertaken in an international panel of 58 individuals from eight countries with a strong primary care system.

Prevalence and consequences of patient safety incidents in general practice in the Netherlands: a retrospective medical record review study.

Background: Patient safety can be at stake in both hospital and general practice settings. While severe patient safety incidents have been described, quantitative studies in large samples of patients in general practice are rare. This study aimed to assess patient safety in general practice, and to show areas where potential improvements could be implemented.

Patient safety in Dutch primary care: a study protocol.

Background: Insight into the frequency and seriousness of potentially unsafe situations may be the first step towards improving patient safety. Most patient safety attention has been paid to patient safety in hospitals. However, in many countries, patients receive most of their healthcare in primary care settings.

Patient safety in primary care has many aspects: an interview study in primary care doctors and nurses.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: Scientific definitions of patient safety may be difficult to apply in routine health care delivery. It is unknown what primary care workers consider patient safety. This study aimed to clarify the concept of patient safety in primary care.

Patient safety features are more present in larger primary care practices.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore whether specific characteristics of a general practice organization were associated with aspects of patient safety management.

Methods: Secondary analysis of data from 271 primary care practices, collected in 10 European countries. These data were collected by a practice visitor and physician questionnaires.

Patient safety in primary care: a survey of general practitioners in The Netherlands.

Background: Primary care encompasses many different clinical domains and patient groups, which means that patient safety in primary care may be equally broad. Previous research on safety in primary care has focused on medication safety and incident reporting. In this study, the views of general practitioners (GPs) on patient safety were examined.