Openness and Learning Following Patient Safety Events: Involving Patients and Carers When Things go Wrong in Health Care a Qualitative Enquiry

INTRODUCTION:

Scotland is committed to a person-centred approach to social care and health services. This includes a duty of candour towards service users and families when things go wrong. Typical of service users and families who are involved in patient safety incidents or make complaints about services is the stated intent that they "don't want anyone else to go through what they have experienced". Inherent in this sentiment is the desire that services learn from feedback, safety incidents, complaints and near misses where unnecessary harm is caused (or could have been) when interacting with health care services. Current guidance suggests health and care providers offer an explanation of the incident, an apology, and a commitment to prevent recurrence. There is growing recognition among health care providers and policy makers that when things go wrong, the patient or their families should be heard and participate in the incident investigation process (Kok et al 2018). Guidance on how best to involve patients, carers and relatives in a caring and compassionate manner is lacking and current practice variable. The joint commission for openness and learning is committed to understanding and learning what 'good' patient involvement in patient safety reviews could look like as part of improving patient safety in health care.

AIMS:

This study is part of a larger programme of work being undertaken by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and Health Improvement Scotland (HIS) on behalf of the Scottish Government. The focus of our work is openness, learning and person-centred involvement following patient safety incidents in health care. We will explore patients, carers and relatives' perspectives on what is important to them, what facilitates and impedes their involvement in patient safety reviews and what matters to them. We are interested in exploring how patient, carer and relative involvement can assist reconciliation, organisational and national learning. Information gained will be used to support the development of national guidance around involving people in a compassionate and caring way and how their experience could help organisational and national learning when things go wrong in health care.

OBJECTIVES: