[Development, Application and Evaluation of a Concept for Safe Patient Identification in Hospital - How can Knowledge...

Area of Science:

• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Management
• Knowledge Transfer

Background:

• Patient misidentification poses significant risks in clinical settings.
• The German Coalition for Patient Safety issued recommendations for safe patient identification in 2008.
• Effective knowledge transfer is crucial for implementing safety protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and evaluate a theoretical framework for knowledge transfer.
• To enhance hospital staff's application of safe patient identification recommendations.
• To integrate these recommendations into daily patient care routines.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a literature review on knowledge transfer, change management, and implementation science.
• Used content analysis of group interviews with hospital staff.
• Developed and applied a multifaceted implementation strategy across 8 hospital wards in 4 hospitals.
• Evaluated the concept's effectiveness using a written questionnaire 4 weeks post-implementation.

Main Results:

• The knowledge transfer framework comprised 4 phases: initiation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation.
• The implementation strategy included posters, computer-based training, and team meeting guidelines.
• 96% of respondents knew about the recommendations, 86% knew the content, 91% attempted application, and 71% integrated them into daily care.
• Respondents used an average of 2.3 interventions to learn about the recommendations, with computer-based training having a smaller effect.

Conclusions:

• The developed theoretical framework facilitates the integration of patient identification recommendations into daily practice.
• A multifaceted implementation strategy is effective in improving adherence to safety protocols.
• This approach helps counteract risk factors associated with patient misidentification.