[Proactive work with patient safety in psychiatry, Patient safety in Real time in Psychiatry]

Traditionally, work with patient safety has mainly been focused on examining and learning from incidents retrospectively. Proactive methods to support and evaluate patient safety as work-as-done in real time are needed. Patient safety in Real time in Psychiatry (PiRiP), combining systematic reviews of inpatient records and interviews with inpatients and staff, can be such a method. We have evolved and tested this approach in psychiatric wards in Region Jönköping County and Region Västernorrland. We found that discussion and reflection with staff about the patients' views of care and treatment, observed strengths, risks and possibilities of improvement were of value to increase awareness and knowledge of how performance of daily work relates to patient safety. PiRiP adheres to the basic principles of patient safety as described in the national action plan for patient safety.