Ohio safety action teams.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Ambulatory care settings face unique challenges in implementing risk management and patient safety programs.
• Kaiser Permanente Ohio Region experienced issues with inadequate response to safety reports across geographically dispersed locations.
• Varied practice settings and contracted hospital affiliations added complexity to patient safety initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address inadequate response to safety reports in ambulatory care.
• To implement and evaluate the effectiveness of interdepartmental Safety Action Teams (SATs).
• To improve risk management and patient safety within the Kaiser Permanente Ohio Region.

Main Methods:

• Creation and activation of interdepartmental Safety Action Teams (SATs) starting in 2005-6.
• Utilized process mapping and Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles for process improvement.
• Conducted post-SAT surveys to assess participant knowledge, satisfaction, and perceived safety improvements.

Main Results:

• Nineteen SATs have been implemented, with eleven completed.
• Participants demonstrated increased knowledge of building reliable processes.
• Post-implementation surveys indicated improved job satisfaction and enhanced patient safety, with sustained gains.

Conclusions:

• Safety Action Teams (SATs) are an effective strategy for improving patient safety in ambulatory care.
• The SAT model has shown positive impacts on staff knowledge, job satisfaction, and patient safety outcomes.
• The SAT initiative is sustainable, transferable, and has a promising future for broader implementation.