Patient Safety Networks

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Patient Safety Networks
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How the networks came about

• Meeting at RIBA on 10 Jan 2003
• Convened by Chief Medical Officer
• Remit was to consider how research capacity in
  the area of Patient Safety might be strengthened
  in the UK
• Call for interdisciplinary networks was a result

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Result of the call

• 5 networks were funded
• Total of 205k
• Funded jointly by MRC/EPSRC/ESRC
• The networks
• Medical error and IT (Nick Barber, London)
• Medical errors in general practice (Martin
  Marshall, Manchester)

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The networks ctd.

• Design of health care systems and appropriate
  methodologies for evaluating safety (Peter
  Buckle, Surrey)
• Adaptive systems and tailored information (Judy
  Edworthy, Plymouth)
• Methodologies aimed at improving medical error
  (Richard Lilford)

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PSN Adaptive Systems and Tailored Information

• Applicants are
• Judy Edworthy (Plymouth)
• Ray Jones (Plymouth)
• Liz Hellier (Plymouth)
• Azzam Taktak (Liverpool)
• Theo Raynor (Leeds)
• Clare Harries (UCL)
• Application included 18 other network members

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Aim of the network

• To bring people working in the area together with
  those
• From different disciplines (engineers,
  psychologists, pharmacists, healthcare
  professionals and researchers)
• Who do not currently work in the area
• To generate high-quality interdisciplinary
  research proposals

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Activities ctd

• To network with other networks and organisations
• Physiological Measurement and Patient Monitoring
  network (PMPM)
• National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA)
• The other PSNs
• The Society for Computing and Technology in
  Anaesthesia (SCATA)
• Biopattern network

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Activities ctd

• To find funding for the continuation of the
  network
• To encourage dissemination of information about
  research and grants
• To write high quality interdisciplinary research
  proposals

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Proposal examples

• Tailored information on medication for patients
• How granular should the tailoring be?
• What are the benefits?
• Tailored information and warnings in infection
  control
• How to design and implement warnings
• Measuring effectiveness
• Decision-making

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Proposed examples ctd

• Adaptive warning and monitoring systems
• Patients are monitored in real-time (and a record
  is possible)
• How are the engineering design issues being
  addressed?
• Can the visual and auditory interfaces be
  improved?
• How should any permanent record be stored?
• How can intelligent systems be integrated into
  new designs?

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Adaptive warning systems ctd

• How can knowledge of decision-making be
  incorporated into systems?
• How should such systems be tested and evaluated?
• How can we encourage the NHS and other agencies
  to take up on these improvements?

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The project needs input from (at least)

• Engineers
• IT specialists
• Psychologists (both theoretical and applied)
• Ergonomists/Human factors specialists
• Medical practitioners
• Grant finders/writers
• Business/industry

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Deliverables

• Grant applications
• 1,886,000.000 applied for to
• date.
• 700k successful
• Range of topics including
• clinical reasoning in general practice
• medication errors in care homes
• patient handling

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Like to get involved?

• Visit our website,
• www.patientsafetynetwork.psy.plymouth.ac.uk
• Email jedworthy_at_plymouth.ac.uk