Implementation of Basic Patient Safety Protocols: a quality improvement project.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety Research
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Basic Patient Safety Protocols are crucial for reducing adverse events in healthcare settings.
• Implementation of these protocols can be challenging in resource-limited public hospital environments.
• Standardized improvement projects are needed to enhance protocol adherence and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a targeted improvement project on the implementation of six Basic Patient Safety Protocols.
• To assess changes in patient safety indicators across multiple public hospitals in Brazil following the intervention.
• To provide evidence for the effectiveness of structured interventions in improving hospital safety practices.

Main Methods:

• An intervention study design comparing pre- and post-implementation data from 35 Brazilian public hospitals (July 2021-September 2023).
• Intervention involved activities designed to support the adoption of six key patient safety protocols.
• Data collected semimonthly, analyzed using descriptive statistics and trend charts with baseline comparisons.

Main Results:

• All analyzed Patient Safety Protocols demonstrated improved indicators post-intervention.
• Significant achievements included a 73% reduction in the prevalence of patient falls.
• Adherence to the safe surgery checklist increased by 675%.

Conclusions:

• The improvement project positively influenced patient safety within the participating institutions.
• The observed improvements in protocol indicators confirm the project's effectiveness.
• This study highlights the value of structured interventions for enhancing patient safety in public hospitals.