EXPERIENCE SHARING OF APPLYING PATIENT SAFETY WALKROUNDS IN HOSPITAL DURING THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC

Introduction: A positive patient safety culture has been found to significantly reduce the number of medical errors reported and improving overall health care quality. Our hospital began the Patient Safety WalkRounds(PSWRs) program in March 2021. Through senior leaders personally visiting the site to be used to better understand the issues staff are facing with regards to patient safety and to allow staff to share their opinions and advice to solve or prevent potential problems in a timely manner.

Methods: Group interviews are conducted once per quarter, with representatives from the hospital administration, including the hospital director, medical vice director, chief of staff, and three special assistants to the hospital director, taking turns to visit clinical units for inspection and interviews.

In the first stage, the unit’s managers are contacted a month before and asked to discuss the questions to be asked with staff. In the second stage, on the group’s arrival, three or six staff on site are invited to group interviews in protected environment. After the interview, personnel from the Center of Quality Management will assist in organizing the issues raised by the units and provide feedback to other relevant units to aid in the improvement process.

Results: This study was performed including 32 staff from the following 6 units in a leading teaching hospital in the Southern Taiwan: Medical ward, Dentistry, Delivery room, Operating room, Hemodialysis center, and Anesthesia department. A total of 6 60minute PSWRs were conducted during the study period in March 2021 to September 2022, and 51 safety issues were identified. Clinical care(21.6%), hospital hardware equipment (21.6%), work environment factors(15.7%), management (13.7%), organization (11.7%) , and process of COVID-19 relevant(10.8%) were the most frequent identified issues, respectively. About 70% of the issues were resolved through corrective interventions implementation.

Conclusion: Through senior leaders personally visiting the site to be used to better understand the issues staff are facing. And Staff are more likely to express their needs and opinions through face-to-face communication. PSWRs activities can improve quality and patient safety in healthcare organizations.