The costs of developing, implementing, and operating a safety learning system in community practice.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Health Economics

Background:

• The financial implications of implementing safety learning systems (SLS) in primary care settings remain largely unexamined.
• Safety learning systems (SLS) comprise incident reporting and a learning component to drive improvement strategies.
• Understanding the costs associated with SLS is crucial for assessing the financial viability of patient safety initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the development, implementation, and operational costs of a community-based safety learning system (SLS).

Main Methods:

• A micro-costing approach using the ingredient method was employed to determine SLS costs.
• Costs were categorized across three distinct phases: development, implementation, and operation.
• Data were collected from 19 family physician clinics in Calgary, Alberta, involving physicians, staff, nurses, and managers.

Main Results:

• The total costs for the safety learning system (SLS) over approximately four years amounted to $263,679 CAD.
• Development costs were $77,011, implementation costs were $19,941, and operational costs were $166,727.
• During the study period, 270 incident reports were documented, leading to the implementation of 54 improvement cycles.

Conclusions:

• The study provides essential quantitative data on the financial investment required for a safety learning system (SLS).
• These findings can assist policymakers and payers in evaluating the long-term financial sustainability of patient safety programs.
• The detailed cost breakdown allows for adaptable application in various healthcare settings.