Global PRoMiSe (Perioperative Recommendations for Medication Safety): protocol for a mixed-methods study.

Area of Science:

• Patient Safety
• Global Health
• Medication Management

Background:

• Medication errors (MEs) in the perioperative period pose significant risks to patients, including harm and death.
• Existing recommendations for preventing perioperative MEs are often conflicting and lack applicability in middle- and low-income countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and disseminate consensus-based perioperative medication safety recommendations.
• To tailor these recommendations to the specific needs and contexts of different country income levels.
• To improve global patient safety by addressing medication errors.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study involving 108 international medication safety experts from diverse country income groups.
• Utilizing the Delphi method with online surveys (REDCAP) for rating recommendation appropriateness.
• Employing Condorcet ranking for prioritizing recommendations and conducting semistructured interviews for evaluating adoption.

Main Results:

• Consensus-based recommendations for perioperative medication safety will be generated.
• Prioritized recommendations will be established for each country income group.
• The study will provide insights into the initial adoption and implementation of these recommendations.

Conclusions:

• This research will yield practical, adaptable guidelines for enhancing perioperative medication safety worldwide.
• The tailored recommendations aim to bridge the gap in applicability for low- and middle-income countries.
• Successful dissemination and evaluation of these recommendations are expected to improve patient outcomes globally.