Improving Safety through a Virtual Learning Collaborative.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Patient safety research
• Medical education and training

Background:

• Frontline healthcare leaders face challenges in identifying risks and reducing patient harm.
• Effective management of local safety programs requires expertise and confidence.
• There is a need for enhanced strategies to support healthcare safety leaders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a multidisciplinary safety learning collaborative on healthcare leaders' confidence and ability to improve safety.
• To evaluate the development of safety improvement projects within a pediatric department.
• To measure changes in patient safety event rates following the collaborative intervention.

Main Methods:

• A virtual safety learning collaborative was implemented using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Breakthrough Series model.
• Participants engaged in virtual education sessions focused on harm identification and safety improvement tools.
• Departmental safety data were analyzed monthly, and participant confidence was assessed via pre- and post-surveys.

Main Results:

• Seventy clinicians and quality consultants participated, initiating fifteen divisional safety improvement projects.
• Confidence in improving safety significantly increased from 26% to 58% (P = 0.01) and was maintained at 65% post-collaboration.
• A decrease in the mean rate of reported inpatient preventable events per 1000 bedded days was observed, from 1.10 to 0.71.

Conclusions:

• A collaborative, virtual learning approach facilitated the creation of safety projects and enhanced leaders' confidence.
• The intervention led to measurable improvements in inpatient safety outcomes.
• This multidisciplinary model shows potential for adaptation in various healthcare settings to bolster patient safety initiatives.