From Data to Decision: Design and Evaluation of a Patient Safety Dashboard

The global healthcare landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, and healthcare systems are operating in increasingly complex environments. Nevertheless, patient safety remains a central concern in hospital-based care. Current patient safety measurement approaches are primarily based on practices originating from the predigital era. In contrast, health information technology offers a promising and viable solution to address this critical need. Therefore, this study aimed to design and evaluate a patient safety dashboard.

This descriptive developmental study was conducted in 3 phases. Phase I included a literature review and a 2-round Delphi survey with 60 patient safety experts to identify and validate indicators (questionnaire reliability: Cronbach's alpha = 0.91). Phase II involved designing the dashboard using QlikView and FreePlane software, integrating data in Excel, and developing visual and functional features. Phase III involved evaluation by an IT specialist using a structured framework and usability testing with ten end-users, conducted via the System Usability Scale (SUS).

A total of 62 key patient safety indicators were identified and classified into 8 main categories. These indicators were integrated into a prototype dashboard with a hierarchical structure enabling multidimensional analysis and interactive visual features. Evaluation showed an overall compliance rate of 80.92% across dashboard design criteria, with the highest compliance in architecture, layout, and analytical features (100%). Usability assessment using the SUS among 10 users yielded an average score of 82.99, indicating high user satisfaction.

This study developed and evaluated a patient safety dashboard to support clinical decision-making. The dashboard facilitates monitoring safety incidents, root cause analysis, and trend comparison over time. Evaluation using a structured framework confirmed the design quality and usability of the system, highlighting its potential to improve continuous patient safety monitoring and outcomes in healthcare settings.