The patient reporting and action for a safe environment (PRASE) intervention: a feasibility study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Improvement
• Patient Safety Research
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Growing emphasis on patient involvement in enhancing healthcare safety.
• Patient feedback on care safety is a key component of patient-centered care.
• The PRASE intervention was developed to systematically collect and act upon patient safety feedback.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of systematically collecting patient feedback on care safety using the PRASE intervention.
• To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the PRASE intervention for healthcare staff.
• To understand how staff utilize patient feedback for service improvement initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A feasibility study was conducted in six wards of an acute teaching hospital using a wait-list controlled design.
• The PRASE (Patient Reporting & Action for a Safe Environment) intervention involved two cycles over six months.
• Data collection included patient feedback via tablets, staff interviews, observations of action planning meetings, and researcher reflections.

Main Results:

• Patient recruitment via bedside tablets was successful, with most patients willing to provide feedback.
• Staff found the intervention acceptable, and patient feedback was generally used for action planning, though engagement varied.
• Challenges included forming multidisciplinary teams for action planning and coordinating actions across services.

Conclusions:

• The PRASE intervention is an acceptable method for collecting patient feedback on hospital care safety.
• Adaptations are needed, including a facilitator for action planning meetings, training, and senior management support.
• Further refinement is recommended before a full cluster randomized controlled trial.