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Fisher JD, Freeman K, Clarke A, Spurgeon P, Smyth M, Perkins GD, Sujan MA, Cooke MW. Patient safety in ambulance services: a scoping review. HEALTH SERVICES AND DELIVERY RESEARCH 2015. [DOI: 10.3310/hsdr03210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe role of ambulance services has changed dramatically over the last few decades with the introduction of paramedics able to provide life-saving interventions, thanks to sophisticated equipment and treatments available. The number of 999 calls continues to increase, with adverse events theoretically possible with each one. Most patient safety research is based on hospital data, but little is known concerning patient safety when using ambulance services, when things can be very different. There is an urgent need to characterise the evidence base for patient safety in NHS ambulance services.ObjectiveTo identify and map available evidence relating to patient safety when using ambulance services.DesignMixed-methods design including systematic review and review of ambulance service documentation, with areas for future research prioritised using a Delphi process.Setting and participantsAmbulance services, their staff and service users in UK.Data sourcesA wide range of data sources were explored. Multiple databases, reference lists from key papers and citations, Google and the NHS Confederation website were searched, and experts contacted to ensure that new data were included in the review. The databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, Science Direct, Emerald, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Health Management Information Consortium (HMIC), NHS Evidence, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED),Health Technology Assessment, the FADE library, Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH), OpenDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories) and Open System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe (OpenSIGLE) and Zetoc (The British Library's Electronic Table of Contents) were searched from 1 January 1980 to 12 October 2011. Publicly available documents and issues identified by National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) and coroners’ reports were considered. Opinions and perceptions of senior managers, ambulance staff and service users were solicited.Review methodsData were extracted from annual reports using two-stage thematic analysis, data from quality accounts were collated with safety priorities tabulated and considered using thematic analysis, NPSA incident report data were collated and displayed comparatively using descriptive statistics, claims reported to NHSLA were analysed to identify number and cost of claims from mistakes and/or poor service, and summaries of coroners’ reports were assessed using thematic analysis to identify underlying safety issues. The depth of analysis is limited by the remit of a scoping exercise and availability of data.ResultsWe identified studies exploring different aspects of safety, which were of variable quality and with little evidence to support activities currently undertaken by ambulance services. Adequately powered studies are required to address issues of patient safety in this service, and it appeared that national priorities were what determined safety activities, rather than patient need. There was inconsistency of information on attitudes and approaches to patient safety, exacerbated by a lack of common terminology.ConclusionPatient safety needs to become a more prominent consideration for ambulance services, rather than operational pressures, including targets and driving the service. Development of new models of working must include adequate training and monitoring of clinical risks. Providers and commissioners need a full understanding of the safety implications of introducing new models of care, particularly to a mobile workforce often isolated from colleagues, which requires a body of supportive evidence and an inherent critical evaluation culture. It is difficult to extrapolate findings of clinical studies undertaken in secondary care to ambulance service practice and current national guidelines often rely on consensus opinion regarding applicability to the pre-hospital environment. Areas requiring further work include the safety surrounding discharging patients, patient accidents, equipment and treatment, delays in transfer/admission to hospital, and treatment and diagnosis, with a clear need for increased reliability and training for improving handover to hospital.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne D Fisher
- Department of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
| | - Karoline Freeman
- Department of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
| | - Aileen Clarke
- Department of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
| | - Peter Spurgeon
- Department of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
| | - Mike Smyth
- West Midlands Ambulance Service, Millennium Point, Waterfront Business Park, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, UK
| | - Gavin D Perkins
- Department of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
| | | | - Matthew W Cooke
- Department of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
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Patel DN, Low WL, Tan LL, Tan MMB, Zhang Q, Low MY, Chan CL, Koh HL. Adverse events associated with the use of complementary medicine and health supplements: An analysis of reports in the Singapore Pharmacovigilance database from 1998 to 2009. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2012; 50:481-9. [DOI: 10.3109/15563650.2012.700402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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Assessment of herbal medicinal products: challenges, and opportunities to increase the knowledge base for safety assessment. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2009; 243:198-216. [PMID: 20018204 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2009.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2009] [Revised: 12/03/2009] [Accepted: 12/04/2009] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Although herbal medicinal products (HMP) have been perceived by the public as relatively low risk, there has been more recognition of the potential risks associated with this type of product as the use of HMPs increases. Potential harm can occur via inherent toxicity of herbs, as well as from contamination, adulteration, plant misidentification, and interactions with other herbal products or pharmaceutical drugs. Regulatory safety assessment for HMPs relies on both the assessment of cases of adverse reactions and the review of published toxicity information. However, the conduct of such an integrated investigation has many challenges in terms of the quantity and quality of information. Adverse reactions are under-reported, product quality may be less than ideal, herbs have a complex composition and there is lack of information on the toxicity of medicinal herbs or their constituents. Nevertheless, opportunities exist to capitalise on newer information to increase the current body of scientific evidence. Novel sources of information are reviewed, such as the use of poison control data to augment adverse reaction information from national pharmacovigilance databases, and the use of more recent toxicological assessment techniques such as predictive toxicology and omics. The integration of all available information can reduce the uncertainty in decision making with respect to herbal medicinal products. The example of Aristolochia and aristolochic acids is used to highlight the challenges related to safety assessment, and the opportunities that exist to more accurately elucidate the toxicity of herbal medicines.
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Gardiner P, Phillips RS, Kemper KJ, Legedza A, Henlon S, Woolf AD. Dietary supplements: inpatient policies in US children's hospitals. Pediatrics 2008; 121:e775-81. [PMID: 18381505 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2007-1898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Variations in hospital policies and practices regarding the use of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other dietary supplements could compromise patient safety and quality of care. We undertook this study to describe pediatric hospital policies regarding dietary supplements. METHODS We administered a cross-sectional survey of a sample of National Association of Children Hospitals and Related Institutions members. Pharmacy personnel were asked about the following: written policies addressing dietary supplements; how such policies are made; and responsibilities for storage, administration, documentation, and checking for potential interactions. We created a 10-point hospital policy and practices quality score to assess the quality of each policy. RESULTS Of the 186 eligible National Association of Children Hospitals and Related Institutions hospitals, 109 responded (59%). Forty-four percent reported having written policies on vitamins and minerals, herbs, and other dietary supplements. Few hospitals had herbs (2%) or other dietary supplements (38%) on formulary. However, most (81%) allowed patients to use their home supply of dietary supplements under defined circumstances, and 64% allowed staff to make recommendations about dietary supplement use. In 70% of hospitals, nurses stored and administered the home supply of dietary supplements. Less than half (46%) required documentation of a check for drug or dietary supplements interactions. One third (32%) had surgical preoperative recommendations regarding dietary supplements. Only 11% of 109 hospitals satisfied the 10 criteria necessary for a perfect hospital policy and practices quality score indicative of quality practices regarding patient use of dietary supplements. CONCLUSION Even among those hospitals that have written policies about dietary supplements, there is a wide range in policy quality, which may compromise the safety of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Gardiner
- Osher Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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