Where the rubber meets the road: using FRAM to align work-as-imagined with work-as-done when implementing clinical guidelines

Comparing Guidelines to Daily Practice When Screening Older Patients for the Risk of Functional Decline in Hospitals: Outcomes of a Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) Study

OBJECTIVES

Dutch hospitals are required to screen older patients for functional decline using 4 indicators: malnutrition, delirium, physical impairment, and falls, to recognize frail older patients promptly. The Functional Resonance Analysis Method was employed to deepen the understanding of work according to the protocols (work-as-imagined [WAI]) in contrast to the realities of daily practice (work-as-done [WAD]).

METHODS

Data have been collected from 3 hospitals (2 tertiary and 1 general) and 4 different wards: an internal medicine ward, surgical ward, neurology ward, and a trauma geriatric ward. WAI models were based on national guidelines and hospital protocols. Data on WAD were collected through semistructured interviews with involved nurses (n = 30).

RESULTS

Hospital protocols were more extensive than national guidelines for all screening indicators. Additional activities mainly comprised specific preventive interventions or follow-up assessments after adequate measurements. Key barriers identified to work according to protocols included time constraints, ambiguity regarding task ownership, nurses' perceived limitations in applying their clinical expertise due to time constraints, insufficient understanding of freedom-restricted interventions, and the inadequacy of the Delirium Observation Scale Score in patients with neurological and cognitive problems. Performance variability stemmed from timing issues, frequently attributable to time constraints.

CONCLUSIONS

The most common reasons for deviating from the protocol are related to time constraints, lack of knowledge, and/or patient-related factors. Also, collaboration among relevant disciplines appears important to ensure good health outcomes. Future research endeavors could shed a light on the follow-up procedures of the screening process and roles of other disciplines, such as physiotherapists.

Feasibility and acceptability of implementing an evidence-based ESCALATION system for paediatric clinical deterioration

BACKGROUND

The ESCALATION system is a novel paediatric Early Warning System that incorporates family involvement and sepsis recognition. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and iteratively refine the ESCALATION system in a variety of hospital settings in preparation for full-service implementation.

METHODS

A series of four multi-methods studies using an Implementation Science and co-design approach were conducted. We examined concepts of implementation, context, and mechanisms of action across a variety of hospitals. Data collected included practice and chart audits, surveys (health professionals), interviews (families) and focus groups (health professionals). Quantitative data were analysed descriptively with qualitative findings assessed by content analysis or thematic analysis.

RESULTS

There were 650 audits (Study I-IV), 205 health professional survey responses (Study I), 154 health professionals participated in focus groups (Study II-IV), 13 parents of hospitalised children interviewed (Study I), and 107 parents reported their involvement in the ESCALATION system (Study III-IV). Each of the studies further refined and confirmed the feasibility, specifically the components of family involvement and the sepsis recognition pathway.

CONCLUSION

The Implementation Science evaluation of the ESCALATION system resulted in a uniform approach that was feasible and acceptable to users and appropriate for full-service implementation.

IMPACT

This series of four studies used a co-production approach built on the Medical Research Council framework to understand feasibility and acceptability of an intervention to improve recognition and response to clinical deterioration in children to the point of full-service implementation. We have reported a detailed, systematic approach to assessing feasibility and acceptability of a complex intervention using established methodologies for whole of health system implementation. The ESCALATION System is an evidence based paediatric early warning system that is a highly refined, well accepted and accommodates a health system that has substantial contextual variation.

Mapping the way: functional modelling for community-based integrated care for older people

BACKGROUND

Healthcare system sustainability is challenged by several critical issues; one of the most pressing is the ageing population. Traditional, episodic care delivery models are not designed for older people who are medically complex and frail. These individuals would benefit from health and social care that is more comprehensive, coordinated, person-centred and accessible in the communities in which they live. Delivering this is a challenging endeavour. Community-based health and social care professionals are siloed, dispersed across various locations and sectors, each with their own mental models, electronic health information systems, and means of communication. To move away from fragmented care delivery models and towards a more integrated approach to care, an analysis of the process of community-based comprehensive geriatric assessment was conducted in an urban location in Atlantic Canada. The purpose of the study was to identify where in the community-based comprehensive geriatric assessment process challenges and opportunities existed for moving towards a more integrated model of care delivery.

METHOD

The functional resonance analysis method (FRAM) and dynamic FRAM (DynaFRAM) modelling were used to model the community-based health and social care system and create a hypothetical patient journey scenario. Data collected to inform modelling consisted of document review, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews with health and social care professionals providing care and service to older people in the community setting.

FINDINGS

Challenges and opportunities for implementing integrated care in the local context were identified. Findings from the FRAM and DynaFRAM analysis informed the co-design of multi-level process improvement recommendations that aim to move the local community-based comprehensive geriatric assessment process towards a more integrated model of care.

CONCLUSIONS

A transformative redesign of community-based health and social care in the local context is necessary but cannot be accomplished without an understanding of how health and social care professionals conduct their work and how older people may receive care under the dynamic conditions. The FRAM and DynaFRAM modelling provided an enhanced understanding of system operations and functionality and demonstrated a critical step that should not be overlooked for decision-makers in their efforts to implement a more integrated model of care.

Resilient performance in building maintenance: A macro-cognition perspective during sudden breakdowns

Building maintenance encompasses multiple tightly inter-connected agents (e.g., technicians, occupants, supervisors, and equipment). Variable working conditions and limited resources may affect the safety and sustainability of the activities. Although recent studies have explored how complex systems can perform resilient behavior in facing the complexity of everyday activities, the factors that effectively contribute to resilient performance are still paired with limited empirical evidence. We studied the performance of the maintenance team during sudden breakdowns of air-conditioning devices in a large university campus, using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM). A FRAM diagram containing 30 functions was organized including six macro-cognitive functions (expertise, sensemaking, communication, coordination, collaboration, and adaptation/improvisation), examining their role in anticipating, and responding to emergencies, and eight functional units that are directly impacted by disturbances were analyzed in more detail. Results indicate that macro-cognitive functions can greatly impact the functionality of the maintenance team in pursuit of their goals. Moreover, we noted those macro-cognitive functions here analyzed depend on each other to produce resilient performance.

Eadem Sed Aliter. Validating an emergency department work domain analysis across three hospital configurations

Work Domain Analysis (WDA), the foundational phase in the Cognitive Work Analysis Framework (CWA), provides a platform for understanding and designing complex systems. Though it has been used extensively, there are few applications in healthcare, and model validation for different contexts is not always undertaken. The current study aimed to validate an Emergency Department (ED) WDA across three metropolitan hospitals that differ in the type and nature of services they provide, including the ED in which the original ED WDA was developed. A facilitated workshop was conducted at the first ED and interviews at two subsequent EDs to refine and validate the ED WDA. ED subject matter experts (SMEs) including nurses, doctors, administration, and allied health personnel provided feedback on the model. SME feedback resulted in modifications to the original ED WDA model including combining nodes to reduce duplication and amending five labels for clarity. The resulting WDA provides a valid representation of the EDs found in metropolitan districts within an Australian state and can be used by roles such as frontline ED clinicians, hospital managers, and policy developers to facilitate the design, testing, and sharing of solutions to local and shared problems. The findings also demonstrate the importance of validating WDA models across different contexts.

Exploring homecare leaders' risk perception and the link to resilience and adaptive capacity: a multiple case study

BACKGROUND

Home-based healthcare is considered crucial for the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide. In the homecare context, however, adverse events may occur due to error-prone medication management processes and prevalent healthcare-associated infections, falls, and pressure ulcers. When dealing with risks in any form, it is fundamental for leaders to build a shared situational awareness of what is going on and what is at stake to achieve a good outcome. The overall aim of this study was to gain empirical knowledge of leaders' risk perception and adaptive capacity in homecare services.

METHODS

The study applied a multiple case study research design. We investigated risk perception, leadership, sensemaking, and decision-making in the homecare services context in three Norwegian municipalities. Twenty-three leaders were interviewed. The data material was analyzed using thematic analysis and interpreted in a resilience perspective of work-as-imagined versus work-as-done.

RESULTS

There is an increased demand on homecare services and workers' struggle to meet society's high expectations regarding homecare's responsibilities. The leaders find themselves trying to maneuver in these pressing conditions in alignment with the perceived risks. The themes emerging from analyzed data were: 'Risk and quality are conceptualized as integral to professional work', 'Perceiving and assessing risk imply discussing and consulting each other- no one can do it alone' and 'Leaders keep calm and look beyond the budget and quality measures by maneuvering within and around the system'. Different perspectives on patients' well-being revealed that the leaders have a large responsibility for organizing the healthcare soundly and adequately for each home-dwelling patient. Although the leaders did not use the term risk, discussing concerns and consulting each other was a profound part of the homecare leaders' sense of professionalism.

CONCLUSIONS

The leaders' construction of a risk picture is based on using multiple signals, such as measurable vital signs and patients' verbal and nonverbal expressions of their experience of health status. The findings imply a need for more research on how national guidelines and quality measures can be implemented better in a resilience perspective, where adaptive capacity to better align work-as-imagined and work-as-done is crucial for high quality homecare service provision.

Naturalistic observations of multiteam interaction networks: Implications for cognition in crisis management teams

Interaction has been recognised as an essential lens to understand how cognition is formed in a complex adaptive team such as a multidisciplinary crisis management team (CMT). However, little is known about how interactions within and across CMTs give rise to the multi-team system's overall cognitive functioning, which is essential to avoid breakdowns in coordination. To address this gap, we characterise and compare the component CMTs' role-as-intended (RAI) and role-as-observed (RAO) in adapting to the complexity of managing informational needs. To characterise RAI, we conducted semi-structured interviews with subject matter experts and then made a qualitative synthesis using a thematic analysis method. To characterise RAO, we observed multiteam interaction networks in real-time at a simulated training environment and then analysed the component CMTs' relative importance using node centrality measures. The resulting inconsistencies between RAI and RAO imply the need to investigate cognition in multiple CMTs through the lens of interaction.Practitioner summary: When a disaster occurs, multidisciplinary CMTs are expected to serve their roles as described in written or verbal guidelines. However, according to our naturalistic observations of multiteam interaction networks, such descriptions may be (necessary but) insufficient for designing, training, and evaluating CMTs in the complexity of managing informational needs together.

Improving escalation of deteriorating patients through cognitive task analysis: Understanding differences between work-as-prescribed and work-as-done

BACKGROUND

Appropriate care escalation requires the detection and communication of in-hospital patient deterioration. Although deterioration in the ward environment is common, there continue to be patient deaths where problems escalating care have occurred. Learning from the everyday work of health care professionals (work-as-done) and identifying performance variability may provide a greater understanding of the escalation challenges and how they overcome these. The aims of this study were to i) develop a representative model detailing escalation of care ii) identify performance variability that may negatively or positively affect this process and iii) examine linkages between steps in the escalation process.

METHODS

Thirty Applied Cognitive Task Analysis interviews were conducted with clinical experts (>4 years' experience) including Ward Nurses (n = 7), Outreach or Sepsis Nurses (n = 8), Nurse Manager or Consultant (n = 6), Physiotherapists (n = 4), Advanced Practitioners (n = 4), and Doctor (n = 1) from two National Health Service hospitals and analysed using Framework Analysis. Task-related elements of care escalation were identified and represented in a Functional Resonance Analysis Model.

FINDINGS

The NEWS2's clinical escalation response constitutes eight unique tasks and illustrates work-as-prescribed, but our interview data uncovered an additional 24 tasks (n = 32) pertaining to clinical judgement, decisions or processes reflecting work-as-done. Over a quarter of these tasks (9/32, 28 %) were identified by experts as cognitively challenging with a high likelihood of performance variability. Three out of the nine variable tasks were closely coupled and interdependent within the Functional Resonance Analysis Model ('synthesising data points', 'making critical decision to escalate' and 'identifying interim actions') so representing points of potential escalation failure. Data assimilation from different clinical information systems with poor usability was identified as a key cognitive challenge.

CONCLUSION

Our data support the emphasis on the need to retain clinical judgement and suggest that future escalation protocols and audit guidance require in-built flexibility, supporting staff to incorporate their expertise of the patient condition and the clinical environment. Improved information systems to synthesise the required data surrounding an unwell patient to reduce staff cognitive load, facilitate decision-making, support the referral process and identify actions are required. Fundamentally, reducing the cognitive load when assimilating core escalation data allows staff to provide better and more creative care. Study registration (ISRCTN 38850) and ethical approval (REC Ref 20/HRA/3828; CAG-20CAG0106).

Evaluating deviations and considerations in daily practice when double-checking high-risk medication administration: A qualitative study using the FRAM

Background

Double-check protocol compliance during administration is low. Regardless, most high-risk medication administrations are performed without incidents. The present study investigated the process of preparing and administrating high-risk medication and examined which variations occur in daily practice. Additionally, we investigated which considerations were taken into account when deviating from the guidelines.

Methods

Ten Dutch hospital wards participated. The Functional Resonance Analysis Method was applied to construct a model depicting the Dutch guidelines and a ward-overarching model visualizing daily practice. To create the ward-overarching model, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted per ward discussing the preparation and administration of high-risk medication. Work related Efficiency-Thoroughness Trade-Off rules were used to structure subconscious considerations.

Results

In total, 77 nurses were interviewed. Six model deviations were found between the guideline model and ward-overarching model. Notably, four variations in double-check procedures were found. Here, time pressure was an important factor. Nurses made a risk-assessment, considering for patient stability, and difficulty of calculations, to determine whether the double-check would be executed. Additionally, subconscious reasonings, such as trusting their own or colleagues expertise, weighed on the decision.

Conclusion

Time pressure is the most important factor that withholds nurses from performing the double-check. Nurses instead conduct a risk-assessment to decide if the double-check will be executed. The double-check can thus become habitual or unnecessary for certain medications. In future research, insights of the FRAM could be used to make ward-specific alterations for the double-check procedure of medications, that focus on feasibility in daily practice, while maintaining patient safety.

Midwives' and obstetricians' practice, perspectives and experiences in relation to altered fetal movement: A focused ethnographic study

BACKGROUND

Reducing avoidable stillbirth is a global priority. The stillbirth rate in England compares unfavourably to that of some other high-income countries. Poorly-managed episodes of altered fetal movement have been highlighted as a key contributor to avoidable stillbirth, and strategies introduced in England in 2016 to reduce perinatal mortality included recommendations for the management of reduced fetal movement. Despite a downward trend in stillbirth rates across the UK, the effects of policies promoting awareness of fetal movement remain uncertain.

OBJECTIVE

To provide in-depth knowledge of how practice and clinical guidance relating to altered fetal movement are perceived, enacted and experienced by midwives and obstetricians, and explore the relationship between recommended fetal movement care and actual fetal movement care.

DESIGN

A focused ethnographic approach comprising over 180 h of observation, 15 interviews, and document analysis was used to explore practice at two contrasting UK maternity units.

SETTINGS

Antenatal services at two UK maternity units, one in the Midlands and one in the North of England.

PARTICIPANTS

Thirty-six midwives, obstetricians and sonographers and 40 pregnant women participated in the study across 52 observed care episodes and relevant unit activity. Twelve midwives and three obstetricians additionally participated in formal semi-structured interviews.

METHODS

Fieldnotes, interview transcripts, policy documents, maternity notes and clinical guidelines were analysed using a modified constant comparison method to identify important themes.

RESULTS

fetal movement practice was mostly consistent and in line with guideline recommendations. Notwithstanding, most midwives and obstetricians had concerns about this area of care, including challenges in diagnosis, conflicting evidence about activity, heightened maternal anxiety, and high rates of monitoring and intervention in otherwise low-risk pregnancies. To address these issues, midwives spent considerable time reassuring women through information and regular monitoring, and coaching them to perceive fetal movement more accurately.

CONCLUSIONS

Practice relating to altered fetal movement might be more uniform than in the past. However, a heightened focus on fetal movement is associated by some midwives and obstetricians with potential harms, including increased anxiety in pregnancy, and high rates of monitoring and intervention in pregnancies where there are no 'objective concerns'. Challenges in diagnosing a significant change in fetal movement with accuracy might mean that interventions and resources are not being directed towards those pregnancies most at risk. More research is needed to determine how healthcare professionals can engage in conversations about fetal movement and stillbirth to support safe outcomes and positive experiences in pregnancy and birth.

REGISTRATION

Not registered.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Midwives and obstetricians take #reducedfetalmovement seriously but worry this 'unreliable' symptom increases anxiety, monitoring and intervention in many 'low risk' pregnancies.

Home-based initiatives for acute management of COVID-19 patients needing oxygen: differences across The Netherlands

OBJECTIVE

During the COVID-19 pandemic new collaborative-care initiatives were developed for treating and monitoring COVID-19 patients with oxygen at home. Aim was to provide a structured overview focused on differences and similarities of initiatives of acute home-based management in the Netherlands.

METHODS

Initiatives were eligible for evaluation if (i) COVID-19 patients received oxygen treatment at home; (ii) patients received structured remote monitoring; (iii) it was not an 'early hospital discharge' program; (iv) at least one patient was included. Protocols were screened, and additional information was obtained from involved physicians. Design choices were categorised into: eligible patient group, organization medical care, remote monitoring, nursing care, and devices used.

RESULTS

Nine initiatives were screened for eligibility; five were included. Three initiatives included low-risk patients and two were designed specifically for frail patients. Emergency department (ED) visit for an initial diagnostic work-up and evaluation was mandatory in three initiatives before starting home management. Medical responsibility was either assigned to the general practitioner or hospital specialist, most often pulmonologist or internist. Pulse-oximetry was used in all initiatives, with additional monitoring of heart rate and respiratory rate in three initiatives. Remote monitoring staff's qualification and authority varied, and organization and logistics were covered by persons with various backgrounds. All initiatives offered remote monitoring via an application, two also offered a paper diary option.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed differences in the organization of interprofessional collaboration for acute home management of hypoxemic COVID-19 patients. All initiatives used pulse-oximetry and an app for remote monitoring. Our overview may be of help to healthcare providers and organizations to set up and implement similar acute home management initiatives for critical episodes of COVID-19 (or other acute disorders) that would otherwise require hospital care.

Effect of Optimizing Medical Rehabilitation System for Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method

Objectives

Coronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19) is an indication for rehabilitation medicine, especially in severe cases. However, there has been no system analysis of safe and continuous provision of medical rehabilitation for COVID-19 patients. The aim of this study was to confirm the effectiveness of rehabilitation for severe COVID-19 and to analyze the optimization of the medical rehabilitation system using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM).

Methods

The subject of the analysis was the medical rehabilitation system itself, which had been implemented by the Rehabilitation Center of our hospital in response to the increased number of COVID-19 patients. In the FRAM analysis, Functions were identified, and their relationships were examined. Functions were established using a hierarchical cross-check by the authors. Patient outcomes resulting from optimization of the rehabilitation system were length of hospital stay, patient independence in daily living, and rehabilitation-related medical costs, and these were statistically validated.

Results

In repeated optimizations of the rehabilitation system, the main issues were "handling of infected patients and isolation of usual clinical practice," "staff rotation," and "remote consultation". The modification of the medical rehabilitation system was associated with shorter hospital stays, shorter periods of time without prescription, faster improvement in independence of daily living, and lower rehabilitation-related medical costs.

Conclusions

Optimization at each stage of medical rehabilitation resulted in positive effects on patient outcomes. FRAM is useful for identifying and the optimization of key functions.

Daily work variability in falls prevention of hospitalized patients: nursing team's perception

BACKGROUND

The identification of safety incidents and establishment of systematic methodologies in health services to reduce risks and provide quality care was implemented by The World Health Organization. These safety incidents allowed the visualization of a vast panorama, ranging from preventable incidents to adverse events with catastrophic outcomes. In this scenario, the issue of fall(s) is inserted, which, despite being a preventable event, can lead to several consequences for the patient, family, and the healthcare system, being the second cause of death by accidental injury worldwide, this study aims to identify the variability inherent in the daily work in fall prevention, the strategies used by professionals to deal with it and the opportunities for improvement of the management of work-as-imagined.

METHOD

A mixed method approach was conducted, through process modeling and semi-structured interviews. The study was conducted in a public university hospital in southern Brazil. Study steps: modeling of the prescribed work, identification of falls, modeling of the daily work, and reflections on the gap between work-as-done and work-as-imagined. Medical records, management reports, notification records, protocols, and care procedures were consulted for modeling the work process, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 Nursing professionals. The study was conducted between March 2019 and December 2020.

RESULTS

From July 2018 to July 2019, 447 falls occurred, 2.7% with moderate to severe injury. The variability occurred in the orientation of the companion and the assurance of the accompanied patient's de-ambulation. The professionals identified individual strategies to prevent falls, the importance of multi-professional work, learning with the work team, and the colleague's expertise, as well as suggesting improvements in the physical environment.

CONCLUSION

This study addressed the need for fall prevention in the hospital setting as one of the main adverse events that affect patients. Identifying the variability inherent to the work allows professionals to identify opportunities for improvement, understand the risks to which patients are subjected, and develop the perception of fall risk as a way to reduce the gap between work-as-imagined and work-as-done.

Exploring interdependencies, vulnerabilities, gaps and bridges in care transitions of patients with complex care needs using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method

BACKGROUND

Hospital discharge is a complex process encompassing multiple interactions and requiring coordination. To identify potential improvement measures in care transitions for people with complex care needs, intra- and inter-organisational everyday work needs to be properly understood, including its interdependencies, vulnerabilities and gaps. The aims of this study were to 1) map coordination and team collaboration across healthcare and social care organisations, 2) describe interdependencies and system variability in the discharge process for older people with complex care needs, and 3) evaluate the alignment between discharge planning and the needs in the home.

METHODS

Data were collected through participant observations, interviews, and document review in a region of southern Sweden. The Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) was used to model the discharge process and visualise and analyse coordination of care across healthcare and social care organisations.

RESULTS

Hospital discharge is a time-sensitive process with numerous couplings and interdependencies where healthcare professionals' performance is constrained by system design and organisational boundaries. The greatest vulnerability can be found when the patient arrives at home, as maladaptation earlier in the care chain can lead to an accumulation of issues for the municipal personnel in health and social care working closest to the patient. The possibilities for the personnel to adapt are limited, especially at certain times of day, pushing them to make trade-offs to ensure patient safety. Flexibility and appropriate resources enable for handling variability and responding to uncertainties in care after discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

Mapping hospital discharge using the FRAM reveals couplings and interdependencies between various individuals, teams, and organisations and the most vulnerable point, when the patient arrives at home. Resilient performance in responding to unexpected events and variations during the first days after the return home requires a system allowing flexibility and facilitating successful adaptation of discharge planning.

Learning from errors and resilience

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Learning from errors has been the main objective of patient safety initiatives for the last decades. The different tools have played a role in the evolution of the safety culture to a nonpunitive system-centered one. The model has shown its limits, and resilience and learning from success have been advocated as the key strategies to deal with healthcare complexity. We intend to review the recent experiences in applying these to learn about patient safety.

RECENT FINDINGS

Since the publication of the theoretical basis for resilient healthcare and Safety-II, there is a growing experience applying these concepts into reporting systems, safety huddles, and simulation training, as well as applying tools to detect discrepancies between the intended work as imagined when designing the procedures and the work as done when front-line healthcare providers face the real-life conditions.

SUMMARY

As part of the evolution in patient safety science, learning from errors has its function to open the mindset for the next step: implementing learning strategies beyond the error. The tools for it are ready to be adopted.

Implementation of barcode medication administration (BMCA) technology on infusion pumps in the operating rooms

BACKGROUND

Medication administration errors (MAEs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. An updated barcode medication administration (BCMA) technology on infusion pumps is implemented in the operating rooms to automate double check at a syringe exchange.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this mixed-methods before-and-after study is to understand the medication administrating process and assess the compliance with double check before and after implementation.

METHODS

Reported MAEs from 2019 to October 2021 were analysed and categorised to the three moments of medication administration: (1) bolus induction, (2) infusion pump start-up and (3) changing an empty syringe. Interviews were conducted to understand the medication administration process with functional resonance analysis method (FRAM). Double check was observed in the operating rooms before and after implementation. MAEs up to December 2022 were used for a run chart.

RESULTS

Analysis of MAEs showed that 70.9% occurred when changing an empty syringe. 90.0% of MAEs were deemed to be preventable with the use of the new BCMA technology. The FRAM model showed the extent of variation to double check by coworker or BCMA.Observations showed that the double check for pump start-up changed from 70.2% to 78.7% postimplementation (p=0.41). The BCMA double check contribution for pump start-up increased from 15.3% to 45.8% (p=0.0013). The double check for changing an empty syringe increased from 14.3% to 85.0% (p<0.0001) postimplementation. BCMA technology was new for changing an empty syringe and was used in 63.5% of administrations. MAEs for moments 2 and 3 were significantly reduced (p=0.0075) after implementation in the operating rooms and ICU.

CONCLUSION

An updated BCMA technology contributes to a higher double check compliance and MAE reduction, especially when changing an empty syringe. BCMA technology has the potential to decrease MAEs if adherence is high enough.

Coming to Grips-How Nurses Deal With Restlessness, Confusion, and Physical Restraints on a Neurological/Neurosurgical Ward

Physical restraints are viewed as potentially dangerous objects for patient safety. Contemporary efforts mainly focus on preventing bad outcomes in restraint use, while little attention is paid under what circumstances physical restraints are applied harmlessly. The aim of this research was to understand how physical restraints are used by neurology/neurosurgery ward nurses in relation to the protocol. In ethnographic action research, the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) was used to map and compare physical restraints as part of daily ward care against the protocol of physical restraints. Comparison between protocol and actual practice revealed that dealing with restlessness and confusion is a collective nursing skill vital in dealing with physical restraints, while the protocol failed to account for these aspects. Supporting and maintaining this skillset throughout this and similar nursing teams can prevent future misguided application physical restraints, offering valuable starting point in managing patient safety for these potentially dangerous objects.

Are two-person checks more effective than one-person checks for safety critical tasks in high-consequence industries outside of healthcare? A systematic review

Double-checking has been used in high-consequence industries for decades. We aimed to determine the strength of the evidence-base regarding the effectiveness of double-checking which underpins its widespread adoption. We searched for quantitative studies of the effectiveness of two-person checking in industry sectors, excluding healthcare. We performed a systematic literature search across six databases and hand-searched key journals. We completed a narrative synthesis and quality assessment of the nine studies identified. Most studies were of fair quality. Two examined the use of two-person checks in aviation, three investigated tasks in chemical manufacturing, and four studies in psychology involved proofreading and visual search tasks. All studies found that the performance of two-people checking was not superior to that of one-person in detecting errors. Further research to compare the effectiveness of different checking processes along with factors which may support optimisation of safety checks in high-consequence industries is required.

[Safety‑II: a systemic approach for an effective clinical risk management]

The healthcare system is an example of a complex sociotechnical system where the goal is the best possible individual treatment together with the cost-effective use of modern technology. Working in anesthesia requires medical knowledge as well as manual skills and the use of specialized technical equipment in an interdisciplinary and interprofessional setting. The susceptibility to errors and adverse events, especially in the care of critically ill patients, is high.In order to avoid unintentional hospital-induced patient harm, the healthcare system has recently taken the path of prescribing the best possible care for a large number of patients with the help of evidence-based guidelines and specific algorithms or instructions for action. Patient safety is defined accordingly as a state in which adverse events occur as rarely as possible (Safety‑I).Following this approach clinical risk management is defined as the purposeful planning, coordination, execution and control of all measures that serve to avoid unintended hospital-induced patient harm or to limit its effects. For this purpose, the focus has recently been placed on instruments such as Critical Incident Reporting Systems (CIRS) or Morbidity and Mortality Conferences (M&MC); however, it is increasingly recognized that adverse events in complex sociotechnical systems such as the healthcare system arise situationally from the interaction of numerous components of the system. The effectiveness of CIRS and M&MC is limited because they do not comprehensively take situational effects into account. Thus, only selective changes are possible which, however, do not imply a sustainable improvement of the system. Newer approaches to strengthening safety in complex sociotechnical systems understand positive as well as negative events as being equally caused by the variable adaptation of behavior to daily practice. They therefore focus on the majority of positive courses of treatment and the necessary adaptations of the health professionals involved in daily practice (Safety‑II). In this way, the adaptability of the system under unexpected conditions should be increased (Resilience Engineering). Taking this systemic approach into account, the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) offers a variety of possibilities for the prospective analysis of a complex sociotechnical system or for retrospective incident analysis through modelling of actual everyday actions (work as done). Through interviews with the health professionals involved, document analyses and work inspections, processes and their functions as well as the associated variability are assessed and graphically presented. The FRAM models the collected information of the process as complexes of interconnected functions represented by hexagonal symbols. Each corner of the hexagon represents a given aspect, which together form the properties of the function (input, output, precondition, resource, time, control). Through this visualization and evaluation of the interview results, the actual everyday actions (work as done) can be compared with the predefined ones (work as imagined). The evaluation of the variability found in this way enables the strengths and weaknesses of processes to be uncovered. As a result, specific measures can be derived to strengthen the system. Increased consideration of the Safety‑II approach within clinical risk management can be a valuable addition to existing clinical risk management methods.

The application of resilience assessment grid in healthcare: A scoping review

Background

The Resilience Assessment Grid (RAG) has attracted increasing interest in recent healthcare discourse as an instrument to understand and measure the resilience performance of socio-technical systems. Despite its growing popularity in healthcare, its applicability and utility remain unclear. This scoping review aims to understand the practical application of RAG method and its outcomes in healthcare.

Method

We followed the Arksey and O’Malley, and the Levac and colleagues’ framework for scoping reviews and the PRISMA-ScR Checklist. We conducted searches of three electronic databases [Medline, Embase and Web of Science] in May 2021. Supplementary searches included Google Scholar, web and citation searches, and hand searches of the nine seminal edited books on Resilience Engineering and Resilient Health Care. All English language, empirical studies of RAG application in the healthcare setting were included. Open Science Framework [Registration-DOI. 10.17605/OSF.IO/GTCZ3].

Results

Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Diversities were found across study designs and methodologies. Qualitative designs and literature reviews were most frequently used to develop the RAG and applied it in practice. Eight of the studies had qualitative designs, three studies had mixed-methods designs and one study had a quantitative design. All studies reported that the RAG was very helpful for understanding how frontline healthcare professionals manage the complexity of everyday work. While the studies gained insights from applying the RAG to analyze organizational resilience and identify areas for improvement, it was unclear how suggestions were implemented and how they contributed to quality improvement.

Conclusion

The RAG is a promising tool to manage some of the current and future challenges of the healthcare system. To realise the potential benefits of the RAG, it is important that we move beyond the development phase of the RAG tool and use it to guide implementation and management of quality initiatives.

Complex systems design based on actual system functioning: Coping with variability in a national water ambulances service

BACKGROUND: In Brazil, the Mobile Emergency Medical Service (SAMU) is a model of mobile assistance and care for emergencies standardized throughout the country. The water ambulance service within the SAMU operates in riverside and coastal areas, and faces challenges and peculiarities that increase the complexity of providing a high-quality and safe emergency care service. OBJECTIVE: To develop organizational design guidelines aiming to improve resilient performance of complex systems, with an application to riverine and coastal mobile emergency care in Brazil. METHODS: Data collection followed an ethnographic approach. Fieldwork was carried in a participatory way, based on worksite technical description, semi-structured interviews with managers and emergency care teams’ professionals, and work observation whenever possible. Five regional SAMU coordinations were visited. Data coding employed content analysis and grouped data excerpts according to concepts of capacity and demand. Interfaces were identified between demand and capacity elements and adaptations led by system agents, orienting the proposal of guidelines for organizational design as solutions to face the verified gaps. RESULTS: Design guidelines produced spanned composition and training of both intervention teams and dispatch central teams, uniforms and personal protective equipment (PPE), decentralized water bases, means of communication, intervention protocols, biosafety and inter-sector actions. CONCLUSION: The approach enabled framing and assessment of specific design elements according to resilience engineering concepts, which in turn showed paths for improving the service and reconciling work-as-imagined and actual system functioning.

Aligning work-as-imagined and work-as-done using FRAM on a hospital ward: a roadmap

Introduction

Modern safety approaches in healthcare differentiate between daily practice (work-as-done) and the written rules and guidelines (work-as-imagined) as a means to further develop patient safety. Research in this area has shown case study examples, but to date lacks hooking points as to how results can be embedded within the studied context. This study uses Functional Analysis Resonance Method (FRAM) for aligning work-as-imagined with the work-as-done. The aim of this study is to show how FRAM can effectively be applied to identify the gap between work prescriptions and practice, while subsequently showing how such findings can be transferred back to, and embedded in, the daily ward care process of nurses.

Methods

This study was part of an action research performed among ward nurses on a 38 bed neurological and neurosurgical ward within a tertiary referral centre. Data was collected through document analysis, in-field observations, interviews and group discussions. FRAM was used as an analysis tool to model the prescribed working methods, actual practice and the gap between those two in the use of physical restraints on the ward.

Results

This study was conducted in four parts. In the exploration phase, work-as-imagined and work-as-done were mapped. Next, a gap between the concerns named in the protocol and the actual employed methods of dealing with physical restraint on the ward was identified. Subsequently, alignment efforts led to the co-construction of a new working method with the ward nurses, which was later embedded in quality efforts by a restraint working group on the ward.

Conclusion

The use of FRAM proved to be very effective in comparing work-as-done with work-as-imagined, contributing to a better understanding, evaluation and support of everyday performance in a ward care setting.

Developing Methods to Support Collaborative Learning and Co-creation of Resilient Healthcare-Tips for Success and Lessons Learned From a Norwegian Hospital Cancer Care Study

BACKGROUND

There is a growing attention on the role of patients and stakeholders in resilience, but there is lack of knowledge and methods on how to support collaborative learning between stakeholders and co-creation of resilient healthcare. The aim of this article was to demonstrate how the methodological process of a consensus process for exploring aspects of next of kin involvement in hospital cancer care can be replicated as an effort to promote resilient healthcare through co-creation with multiple stakeholders in hospitals.

METHODS

The study applied a modified nominal group technique process developed by synthesizing research findings across 4 phases of a research project with a mixed-methods approach. The process culminated in a 1-day meeting with 20 stakeholder participants (5 next of kin representatives, 10 oncology nurses, and 5 physicians) from 2 Norwegian university hospitals.

RESULTS

The consensus method established reflexive spaces with collective sharing of experiences between the 2 hospitals and between the next of kin and healthcare professionals. The method promoted collaborative learning processes including identification and reflection upon new ideas for involvement, and reduction of the gap between healthcare professionals' and next of kin experiences and expectations for involvement. Next of kin were considered as important resources for resilient performance, if involved with a proactive approach. The consensus process identified both successful and unsuccessful collaborative practices and resulted in a co-designed guide for healthcare professionals to support next of kin involvement in hospital cancer care.

CONCLUSIONS

This study expands the body of knowledge on methods development that is relevant for collaborative learning and co-creation of resilient healthcare. This study demonstrated that the consensus methods process can be used for creating reflexive spaces to support collaborative learning and co-creation of resilience in cancer care. Future research within the field of collaborative learning should explore interventions that include a larger number of stakeholders.

Patient Harm and Institutional Avoidability of Out-of-Hours Discharge From Intensive Care: An Analysis Using Mixed Methods

OBJECTIVES

Out-of-hours discharge from ICU to the ward is associated with increased in-hospital mortality and ICU readmission. Little is known about why this occurs. We map the discharge process and describe the consequences of out-of-hours discharge to inform practice changes to reduce the impact of discharge at night.

DESIGN

This study was part of the REcovery FoLlowing intensive CarE Treatment mixed methods study. We defined out-of-hours discharge as 16:00 to 07:59 hours. We undertook 20 in-depth case record reviews where in-hospital death after ICU discharge had been judged "probably avoidable" in previous retrospective structured judgment reviews, and 20 where patients survived. We conducted semistructured interviews with 55 patients, family members, and staff with experience of ICU discharge processes. These, along with a stakeholder focus group, informed ICU discharge process mapping using the human factors-based functional analysis resonance method.

SETTING

Three U.K. National Health Service hospitals, chosen to represent different hospital settings.

SUBJECTS

Patients discharged from ICU, their families, and staff involved in their care.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Out-of-hours discharge was common. Patients and staff described out-of-hours discharge as unsafe due to a reduction in staffing and skill mix at night. Patients discharged out-of-hours were commonly discharged prematurely, had inadequate handover, were physiologically unstable, and did not have deterioration recognized or escalated appropriately. We identified five interdependent function keys to facilitating timely ICU discharge: multidisciplinary team decision for discharge, patient prepared for discharge, bed meeting, bed manager allocation of beds, and ward bed made available.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified significant limitations in out-of-hours care provision following overnight discharge from ICU. Transfer to the ward before 16:00 should be facilitated where possible. Our work highlights changes to help make day time discharge more likely. Where discharge after 16:00 is unavoidable, support systems should be implemented to ensure the safety of patients discharged from ICU at night.

Contributions of Healthcare 4.0 digital applications to the resilience of healthcare organizations during the COVID-19 outbreak

In this paper, we examine the contributions of digital applications to the resilience of healthcare organizations during the COVID-19 outbreak. The studied applications are framed as Healthcare 4.0 (H4.0), comprising bundles of information and communication technologies used to improve operations in the health value chain. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with 10 senior managers from clinician and non-clinician departments of two large-sized Brazilian hospitals treating patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Interviews were analyzed through content analysis, using data analysis categories related to the application focus (i.e., supply chain, patient diagnosis, patient treatment, and patient follow-up) and targeted resilience ability (i.e., monitor, anticipate, respond, and learn). Results indicate that applications oriented to supply chain and patient diagnosis contribute to all resilience abilities. Furthermore, depending on the resilience ability to be improved, different applications may be prioritized. Four research propositions for theory-testing in future studies are also presented.

Implementing structured follow-up of neonatal and paediatric patients: an evaluation of three university hospital case studies using the functional resonance analysis method

Background

In complex critical neonatal and paediatric clinical practice, little is known about long-term patient outcomes and what follow-up care is most valuable for patients. Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam UMC (Netherlands), implemented a follow-up programme called Follow Me for neonatal and paediatric patient groups, to gain more insight into long-term outcomes and to use such outcomes to implement a learning cycle for clinical practice, improve follow-up care and facilitate research. Three departments initiated re-engineering and change processes. Each introduced multidisciplinary approaches to long-term follow-up, including regular standardised check-ups for defined age groups, based on medical indicators, developmental progress, and psychosocial outcomes in patients and their families. This research evaluates the implementation of the three follow-up programmes, comparing predefined procedures (work-as-imagined) with how the programmes were implemented in practice (work-as-done).

Methods

This study was conducted in 2019–2020 in the outpatient settings of the neonatal intensive care, paediatric intensive care and paediatric surgery departments of Emma Children’s Hospital. It focused on the organisational structure of the follow-up care. The functional resonance analysis method (FRAM) was applied, using documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews, observations and feedback sessions.

Results

One work-as-imagined model and four work-as-done models were described. The results showed vast data collection on medical, developmental and psychosocial indicators in all work-as-done models; however, process indicators for programme effectiveness and performance were missing. In practice there was a diverse allocation of roles and responsibilities and their interrelations to create a multidisciplinary team; there was no one-size-fits-all across the different departments. Although control and feedback loops for long-term outcomes were specified with respect to the follow-up groups within the programmes, they were found to overlap and misalign with other internal and external long-term outcome monitoring practices.

Conclusion

Implementing structured long-term follow-up may provide insights for improving daily practice and follow-up care, with the precondition of standardised measurements. Lessons learned from practice are (1) to address fragmentation in data collection and storage, (2) to incorporate the diverse ways to create a multidisciplinary team in practice, and (3) to include timely actionable indicators on programme effectiveness and performance, alongside medical, developmental and psychosocial indicators.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-07537-x.

The complexities, coordination, culture and capacities that characterise the delivery of oncology services in the common areas of ambulatory settings

Background

Relatively little is understood about real-world provision of oncology care in ambulatory outpatient clinics (OPCs). This study aimed to: 1) develop an understanding of behaviours and practices inherent in the delivery of cancer services in OPC common areas by characterising the organisation and implementation of this care; and 2) identify barriers to, and facilitators of, the delivery of this care in OPC common areas.

Methods

A purpose-designed ethnographic study was employed in four public hospital OPCs. Informal field scoping activities were followed by in-situ observations, key informant interviews and document review. A view of OPCs as complex adaptive systems was used as a scaffold for the data collection and interpretation, with the intent of understanding ‘work as done’. Data were analysed using an adapted “Qualitative Rapid Appraisal, Rigorous Analysis” approach.

Results

Field observations were conducted over 135 h, interviews over 6.5 h and documents were reviewed. Analysis found six themes. Staff working in OPCs see themselves as part of small local teams and as part of a broader multidisciplinary care team. Professional role boundaries could be unclear in practice, as duties expanded to meet demand or to stop patients “falling through the cracks.” Formal care processes in OPCs were supported by relationships, social capital and informal, but invaluable, institutional expertise. Features of the clinic layout, such as the proximity of departments, affected professional interactions. Staff were aware of inter- and intra-service communication difficulties and employed strategies to minimise negative impacts on patients. We found that complexity, coordination, culture and capacity underpin the themes that characterise this care provision.

Conclusions

The study advances understanding of how multidisciplinary care is delivered in ambulatory settings and the factors which promote or inhibit effective care practice. Time pressures, communication challenges and competing priorities can pose barriers to care delivery. OPC care is facilitated by: self-organisation of participants; professional acumen; institutional knowledge; social ties and relationships between and within professional groups; and commitment to patient-centred care. An understanding of the realities of ‘work-as-done’ may help OPCs to sustain high-quality care in the face of escalating service demand.

The Functional Resonance Analysis Method as a health care research methodology: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this review was to examine and map the literature on the use of the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) in health care research.

INTRODUCTION

The FRAM is a resilient health care tool that offers an approach to deconstruct complex systems by mapping health care processes to identify essential activities, how they are interrelated, and the variability that emerges, which can strengthen or compromise outcomes. Insight into how the FRAM has been operationalized in health care can help researchers and policy-makers understand how this method can be used to strengthen health care systems.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

This scoping review included research and narrative reports on the application of the FRAM in any health care setting. The focus was to identify the key concepts and definitions used to describe the FRAM, the research questions, aims, and objectives used to study the FRAM, the methods used to operationalize the FRAM, the health care processes examined, and the key findings.

METHODS

A three-step search strategy was used to find published and unpublished research and narrative reports conducted in any country. Only papers published in English were considered. No limits were placed on the year of publication. CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Inspec Engineering Village, ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health were searched originally in June 2020 and again in March 2021. A search of the gray literature was also completed in March 2021. Data were extracted from papers by two independent reviewers using a data extraction tool developed by the reviewers. Search results are summarized in a flow diagram, and the extracted data are presented in tabular format.

RESULTS

Thirty-one papers were included in the final review, and most (n = 25; 80.6%) provided a description or definition of the FRAM. Only two (n = 2; 6.5%) identified a specific research question. The remaining papers each identified an overall aim or objective in applying the FRAM, the most common being to understand a health care process (n = 20; 64.5%). Eleven different methods of data collection were identified, with interviews being the most common (n = 21; 67.7%). Ten different health care processes were explored, with safety and risk identification (n = 8; 25.8%) being the most examined process. Key findings identified the FRAM as a mapping tool that can identify essential activities or functions of a process (n = 20; 64.5%), how functions are interdependent or coupled (n = 18 58.1%), the variability that can emerge within a process (n = 20; 64.5%), discrepancies between work as done and work as imagined (n = 20; 64.5%), the resiliency that exists within a process (n = 12; 38.7%), and the points of risk within a process (n = 10, 32.3%). Most papers (n = 27; 87.1%) developed models representing the complexity of a process.

CONCLUSIONS

The FRAM aims to use a systems approach to examine complex processes and as evidenced by this review, is suited for use within the health care domain. Interest in the FRAM is growing, with most of the included literature being published since 2017 (n = 24; 77.4%). The FRAM has the potential to provide comprehensive insight into how health care work is done and how that work can become more efficient, safer, and better supported.

Can using the functional resonance analysis method, as an intervention, improve patient safety in hospitals?: a stepped wedge design protocol

BACKGROUND

Healthcare professionals are sometimes forced to adjust their work to varying conditions leading to discrepancies between hospital protocols and daily practice. We will examine the discrepancies between protocols, 'Work As Imagined' (WAI), and daily practice 'Work As Done' (WAD) to determine whether these adjustments are deliberate or accidental. The discrepancies between WAI and WAD can be visualised using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM). FRAM will be applied to three patient safety themes: risk screening of the frail older patients; the administration of high-risk medication; and performing medication reconciliation at discharge.

METHODS

A stepped wedge design will be used to collect data over 16 months. The FRAM intervention consists of constructing WAI and WAD models by analysing hospital protocols and interviewing healthcare professionals, and a meeting with healthcare professionals in each ward to discuss the discrepancies between WAI and WAD. Safety indicators will be collected to monitor compliance rates. Additionally, the potential differences in resilience levels among nurses before and after the FRAM intervention will be measured using the Employee Resilience Scale (EmpRes) questionnaire. Lastly, we will monitor whether gaining insight into differences between WAI and WAD has led to behavioural and organisational change.

DISCUSSION

This article will assess whether using FRAM to reveal possible discrepancies between hospital protocols (WAI) and daily practice (WAD) will improve compliance with safety indicators and employee resilience, and whether these insights will lead to behavioural and organisational change.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Netherlands Trial Register NL8778; https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/8778 . Registered 16 July 2020. Retrospectively registered.

Using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method to explore how elastic compression therapy is organised and could be improved from a multistakeholder perspective

OBJECTIVES

Elastic compression stocking (ECS) therapy is an important treatment for patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). This study aimed to provide insight into the structure and variability of the ECS therapy process, its effects on outcomes, and to elicit improvement themes from a multiple stakeholder perspective.

DESIGN

Thirty semi-structured interviews with professionals and patients were performed. The essential functions for the process of ECS therapy were extracted to create two work-as-done models using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM). These findings were used to guide discussion between stakeholders to identify improvement themes.

SETTING

Two regions in the Netherlands, region Limburg and region North-Holland, including an academic hospital and a general hospital and their catchment region.

PARTICIPANTS

The interviewees were purposely recruited and included 25 healthcare professionals (ie, general practitioners, internists, dermatologists, nurses, doctor's assistants, occupational therapists, home care nurses and medical stocking suppliers) and 5 patients with DVT or CVI.

RESULTS

Two FRAM models were created (one for each region). The variability of the functions and their effect on outcomes, as well as interdependencies between functions, were identified. These were presented in stakeholder meetings to identify the structure of the process and designated variable and uniform parts of the process and its outcomes. Ultimately, six improvement themes were identified: dissemination of knowledge of the entire process; optimising and standardising initial compression therapy; optimising timing to contact the medical stocking supplier (when oedema has disappeared); improving the implementation of assistive devices; harmonising follow-up duration for patients with CVI; personalising follow-up and treatment duration in patients with DVT.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided a detailed understanding of how ECS therapy is delivered in daily practice by describing major functions and variability in performances and elicited six improvement themes from a multistakeholder perspective.

A human factors analysis of missed mobilisation after discharge from intensive care: a competition for care?

Background

Patients discharged to the ward from an intensive care unit (ICU) commonly experience a reduction in mobility but few mobility interventions. Barriers and facilitators for mobilisation on acute wards after discharge from an ICU were explored.

Design and methods

A human factors analysis was undertaken using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) as part of the Recovery Following Intensive Care Treatment (REFLECT) study. A FRAM focus group was formed from members of the ICU and ward multidisciplinary teams from two hospitals, with experience of working in six hospitals. They identified factors influencing mobilisation and the interdependency of these factors.

Results

Patients requiring discharge assessments or on Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathways compete for priority with post-ICU patients with more urgent rehabilitation needs. Patients unable to stand and step to a chair or requiring mobilisation equipment were deemed particularly susceptible to missing mobilisation interventions. The ability to mobilise was perceived to be highly influenced by multidisciplinary staffing levels and skill mix. These factors are interdependent in facilitating or inhibiting mobilisation.

Conclusions

This human factors analysis of post-ICU mobilisation highlighted several influencing factors and demonstrated their interdependency. Future interventions should focus on mitigating competing priorities to ensure regular mobilisation, target patients unable to stand and step to a chair on discharge from ICU and create robust processes to ensure suitable equipment availability.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN14658054

Reengineer healthcare: a human factors and ergonomics framework to improve the socio-technical system

OBJECTIVE

Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) discipline is critical to improve the healthcare system. The technical development of medicine in general is not accompanied by the organizational system that supports the delivery of high-quality, safe care. The potential for improvement in care delivery is overwhelming. This paper describes an HFE framework that consists of four main domains of action within the organization: (1) Process; (2) Product; (3) Training and (4) Research. It aims to demonstrate to healthcare stakeholders, especially boards, management and professionals, as well as to the community of human factors, how HFE can be structured to respond to the challenges of improving the socio-technical health system.

DESIGN

None.

SETTING

Intra-hospital environment of a private healthcare group.

PARTICIPANTS

None.

INTERVENTION(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

None.

RESULTS

HFE framework.

CONCLUSION

Together with other disciplines, HFE can and must play a determinant role in the reengineering of a human-centered healthcare. HFE must be embedded in healthcare organizations and must demonstrate its value in a more comprehensive way, so that stakeholders become aware of the benefits and feel the need to ask for help. Examples of systemic, practical and comprehensive applications are needed. This framework is a contribution in this direction.

How to implement a PEWS in a resource-limited setting: A quantitative analysis of the bedside-PEWS implementation in a hospital in northeast Brazil

OBJECTIVES

Quantitative analysis of the implementation of the bedside paediatric early warning system (B-PEWS) in a resource-limited setting. The B-PEWS serves to pre-emptively identify hospitalised children who are at risk for cardiopulmonary arrest and subsequently to provide critical care in time.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review through the medical data records of patients after discharge from the paediatric ward of a philanthropic hospital in Brazil. Nurses' performance using the system was measured with various parameters.

RESULTS

A total of 499 patients were included, and a total of 8024 scores were checked. During the 21-week research period, the implementation rate increased significantly from 66.5% (SD 26.0) in Period 1 to 93.1% (SD 16.6) in Period 2. The number of scores that resulted in a correct total score went from 7.5% in Period 1 to 32.2% in Period 2, p < 0.001. There was an improvement in the correct choice of age group between the two periods (from 32.2% to 53.4%). There was no difference in the mean admission time of patients in the two periods: in the first period 4.8 days (SD 2.9) and in the second period 4.8 days (SD 4.1).

CONCLUSIONS

It is possible to implement a PEWS in resource-limited settings while achieving high implementation rates. However, this is a time- and energy-consuming process. Having an active and involved team that is responsible for implementation is key for a successful implementation. Factors that likely hindered implementation were a large change in workflow for the nursing staff, non-native speakers as main investigators.

Sustainment of a patient flow intervention in an intensive care unit in a regional hospital in Australia: a mixed-method, 5-year follow-up study

OBJECTIVE

In 2014, an escalation plan and morning handover meetings were implemented in an intensive care unit (ICU) to reduce access block for post-operative care. In this study, the improvement intervention is revisited 5 years on with the objective to see if the changes are sustained and to understand factors contributing to sustainability.

DESIGN

A mixed-method approach was used, with quantitative analysis of ICU administrative data and qualitative analysis of interviews with hospital management and ICU staff.

SETTING

ICU with mixed surgical and non-surgical cases in a regional hospital in Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

Interview participants: ICU nurses (four), ICU doctors (four) and hospital management (four).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Monthly number of elective surgeries were cancelled due to unavailability of ICU beds. Staff perceptions of the interventions and factors contributed to sustainability.

RESULTS

After a decline in elective surgeries being cancelled in the first year after the intervention, there was an increase in cancellations in the following years (χ²=16.38, p=0.003). Lack of knowledge about the intervention and competitive interests in the management of patient flow were believed to be obstacles for sustained effects of the original intervention. So were communication deficiencies that were reported within the ICU and between ICU and other departments. There are discrepancies between how nurses and doctors use the escalation plan and regard the availability of ICU beds.

CONCLUSION

Improvement interventions in healthcare that appear initially to be successful are not necessarily sustained over time, as was the case in this study. In healthcare, there is no such thing as a 'fix and forget' solution for interventions. Management commitment to support communication within and between microsystems, and to support healthcare staff understanding of the underlying reasons for intervention, are important implications for change and change management across healthcare systems.

Modelling the use of variable rate intravenous insulin infusions in hospitals by comparing Work as Done with Work as Imagined

BACKGROUND

Variable rate intravenous insulin infusions (VRIIIs) are widely used to treat elevated blood glucose (BG) in adult inpatients who are severely ill and/or will miss more than one meal. VRIIIs can cause serious harm to the patient if used incorrectly. Recent safety initiatives have embraced the Resilient Health Care (RHC) approach to safety by understanding how VRIIIs are expected to be used (Work as Imagined, 'WAI') and how it is actually used in everyday clinical care (Work as Done, 'WAD').

OBJECTIVES

To systematically compare WAI and WAD and analyse adaptations used in situ to develop a model explaining VRIII use.

METHODS

A qualitative observational study video-recording healthcare practitioners using VRIII. The video data were transcribed and inductively coded to develop a hierarchical task analysis (HTA) to represent WAD. This HTA was compared with a HTA previously developed to represent WAI. The comparison output was used to develop a model of VRIII use.

RESULTS

While many of the tasks in the WAD HTA were aligned with the tasks presented in the WAI HTA, some important ones did not. When misalignment was observed, permanent adaptations (e.g. signing as a witness for a changed VRIII's rate without independently verifying whether the new rate was appropriate) and temporary workarounds (e.g. not administering intermediate-acting insulin analogues although the intermediate-acting insulin prescription was not suspended) were the most frequently observed adaptations. The comparison between WAI and WAD assisted in developing a model of VRIII use. The model shed light on strategies used to imagine everyday work (e.g. incident reports, VRIII guidelines), how everyday work was accomplished (e.g. context-dependent adaptations) and how these contributed to both successful and unsuccessful outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided in-depth understanding of the tasks required while using VRIIIs, and responses and adaptations needed to achieve safer care in a complex environment.

Modeling and analyzing hospital to home transition processes of frail older adults using the functional resonance analysis method (FRAM)

The main purpose of this study was to model and analyze hospital to home transition processes of frail older adults in order to identify the challenges within this process. A multi-phase, multi-sited and mixed methods design was utilized, in which, Phase 1 included collecting semi-structured interviews and focus group data, and Phase 2 consisted of six patient/caregiver dyad prospective case studies. This study was conducted in three hospitals in three cities in a single province in Canada. The Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) was employed to model daily operations of the transition process. The perspectives of both healthcare providers and patients/caregivers were used to build the FRAM model. The transition model was then tested using a customized version of the FRAM. The six patient/caregiver cases were used in the process of testing the FRAM model. The results of building the FRAM model showed that five categories of functions contributed to the transition model, including admission, assessment, synthesis, decision-making, and readmission. The outcomes of using the customized version of the FRAM revealed challenges affecting the transition process including waitlists for geriatric units, team-based care, lack of a discharge planner, financial concerns, and follow-up plans. The findings of this study could assist managers and other decision makers to improve the transition processes of frail older adults by addressing these challenges. The FRAM method employed in this study can be applied widely to identify work practices that are more or less successful, so that procedures and practices can be adapted to nudge healthcare processes towards paths that will yield better outcomes.

Preoperative Anticoagulation Management in Everyday Clinical Practice: An International Comparative Analysis of Work-as-Done Using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method

OBJECTIVES

Preoperative anticoagulation management (PAM) is a complex, multidisciplinary process important to patient safety. The Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) is a novel method to study how complex processes usually go right at the frontline (labeled Safety-II) and how this relates to predefined procedures. This study aimed to assess PAM in everyday practice and explore the usability and utility of FRAM.

METHODS

The study was conducted at an Australian and European Cardiothoracic Surgery Department. A FRAM model of work-as-imagined was developed using (inter)national guidelines. Semistructured interviews with 18 involved professionals were used to develop models reflecting work-as-done at both sites, which were presented to staff for validation. Workload in hours was estimated per process step.

RESULTS

In both centers, work-as-done differed from work-as-imagined, such as in the division of tasks among disciplines (e.g., nurses/registrars rather than medical specialists), but control mechanisms had been developed locally to ensure safe care (e.g., crosschecking with other clinicians). Centers had organized the process differently, revealing opportunities for improvement regarding patient information and clustering of clinic visits. Presenting FRAM models to staff initiated discussion on improvement of functions in the model that are vital for success. Overall workload was estimated at 47 hours per site.

CONCLUSIONS

This FRAM analysis provided insight into PAM from the perspective of frontline clinicians, revealing essential functions, interdependencies and variability, and the relation with guidelines. Future studies are warranted to study the potential of FRAM, such as for guiding improvements in complex systems.

Developing Tools to Enhance the Adaptive Capacity (Safety II) of Health Care Providers at a Children's Hospital

Current safety efforts in health care use Safety I (find and fix), which has benefits and shortcomings. Safety leaders in multiple industries realize that complex adaptive systems require a new approach-Safety II (proactive safety). Our goal was to develop practical, usable tools to spread Safety II and resilience engineering competencies to clinical frontline staff. Using our prior research and Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, we developed tools to enhance Safety II competencies that individuals with various backgrounds could understand. Tools address recognizing (Pause to Predict), responding (IDEA), and learning (Feed Forward). These are being taught organizationally in a unit-by-unit sequence. Use of these tools is expected to prompt a shift toward a more proactive mental model of safety that we want our frontline providers to adopt. Coordinating the expertise of bedside clinicians during unprecedented events can safely expand the boundaries of conditions under which we can provide high-quality care by increasing individuals' and subsequently our systems' adaptive capacity. We believe this is the first work describing attempts to operationalize Safety II concepts broadly in a health care organization.

Translational simulation: from description to action

This article describes an operational framework for implementing translational simulation in everyday practice. The framework, based on an input-process-output model, is developed from a critical review of the existing translational simulation literature and the collective experience of the authors' affiliated translational simulation services. The article describes how translational simulation may be used to explore work environments and/or people in them, improve quality through targeted interventions focused on clinical performance/patient outcomes, and be used to design and test planned infrastructure or interventions. Representative case vignettes are used to show how the framework can be applied to real world healthcare problems, including clinical space testing, process development, and culture. Finally, future directions for translational simulation are discussed. As such, the article provides a road map for practitioners who seek to address health service outcomes using translational simulation.

Multilevel influences on resilient healthcare in six countries: an international comparative study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Resilient healthcare (RHC) is an emerging area of theory and applied research to understand how healthcare organisations cope with the dynamic, variable and demanding environments in which they operate, based on insights from complexity and systems theory. Understanding adaptive capacity has been a focus of RHC studies. Previous studies clearly show why adaptations are necessary and document the successful adaptive actions taken by clinicians. To our knowledge, however, no studies have thus far compared RHC across different teams and countries. There are gaps in the research knowledge related to the multilevel nature of resilience across healthcare systems and the team-based nature of adaptive capacity.This cross-country comparative study therefore aims to add knowledge of how resilience is enabled in diverse healthcare systems by examining adaptive capacity in hospital teams in six countries. The study will identify how team, organisational and national healthcare system factors support or hinder the ability of teams to adapt to variability and change. Findings from this study are anticipated to provide insights to inform the design of RHC systems by considering how macro-level and meso-level structures support adaptive capacity at the micro-level, and to develop guidance for organisations and policymakers.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The study will employ a multiple comparative case study design of teams nested within hospitals, in turn embedded within six countries: Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and the UK. The design will be based on the Adaptive Teams Framework placing adaptive teams at the centre of the healthcare system with layers of environmental, organisational and system level factors shaping adaptive capacity. In each of the six countries, a focused mapping of the macro-level features of the healthcare system will be undertaken by using documentary sources and interviews with key informants operating at the macro-level.A sampling framework will be developed to select two hospitals in each country to ensure variability based on size, location and teaching status. Four teams will be selected in each hospital-one each of a structural, hybrid, responsive and coordinating team. A total of eight teams will be studied in each country, creating a total sample of 48 teams. Data collection methods will be observations, interviews and document analysis. Within-case analysis will be conducted according to a standardised template using a combination of deductive and inductive qualitative coding, and cross-case analysis will be conducted drawing on the Qualitative Comparative Analysis framework.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The overall Resilience in Healthcare research programme of which this study is a part has been granted ethical approval by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (Ref. No. 8643334 and Ref. No. 478838). Ethical approval will also be sought in each country involved in the study according to their respective regulatory procedures. Country-specific reports of study outcomes will be produced for dissemination online. A collection of case study summaries will be made freely available, translated into multiple languages. Brief policy communications will be produced to inform policymakers and regulators about the study results and to facilitate translation into practice. Academic dissemination will occur through publication in journals specialising in health services research. Findings will be presented at academic, policy and practitioner conferences, including the annual RHC Network meeting and other healthcare quality and safety conferences. Presentations at practitioner and academic conferences will include workshops to translate the findings into practice and influence quality and safety programmes internationally.

Safety-II and Resilience Engineering in a Nutshell: An Introductory Guide to Their Concepts and Methods

Background

Traditional safety concept, which is called Safety-I, and its relevant methods and models have much contributed toward enhancing the safety of industrial systems. However, they have proved insufficient to be applied to complex socio-technical systems. As an alternative, Safety-II and resilience engineering have emerged and gained much attention for the last two decades. However, it seems that safety professionals have still difficulty understanding their fundamental concepts and methods. Accordingly, it is necessary to offer an introductory guide to them that helps safety professionals grasp them correctly in consideration of their current practices.

Methods

This article firstly explains the limitations of Safety-I and how Safety-II can resolve them from the four points of view. Next, the core concepts of resilience engineering and Functional Resonance Analysis Method are described.

Results

Workers' performance adjustment and performance variability due to it should be the basis for understanding human-related accidents in socio-technical systems. It should be acknowledged that successful and failed work performance have the same causes. However, they are not well considered in the traditional safety concept; in contrast, Safety-II and resilience engineering have conceptual bases and practical approaches to reflect them systematically.

Conclusion

It is necessary to move from a find-and-fix and reactive approach to a proactive approach to safety management. Safety-II and resilience engineering give a set of useful concepts and methods for proactive safety management. However, if necessary, Safety-I methods need to be properly used for situations where they can still be useful as well.

Integrated modelling of built environment and functional requirements: Implications for resilience

The built environment is a core part of most healthcare systems, involving a number of requirements such as those related to space and patients' well-being. However, these are usually addressed separately from other functional requirements, resulting in designs that do not support resilient performance. This study proposes a framework for the integrated modelling of built environment and other functional requirements, relying on two approaches: Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM), and Building Information Modelling (BIM). Requirements are defined as equivalent to the precondition aspect of FRAM functions. BIM allows the creation of a database of requirements and functions, linked to an object-oriented model of the built environment. The proposed framework was devised and tested in an intensive care unit. Findings shed light on the necessary resilience to cope with the gap between built environment-as-imagined in design and built environment-as-done due to performance adjustments. This type of resilience may have a long-lasting nature, as many built environment attributes cannot be easily changed.

Nature of adverse events with opioids in hospitalised patients: a post-hoc analysis of three patient record review studies

OBJECTIVE

Opioids are increasingly prescribed and frequently involved in adverse drug events (ADEs). The underlying nature of opioid-related ADEs (ORADEs) is however understudied. This hampers our understanding of risks related to opioid use during hospitalisation and when designing interventions. Therefore, we provided a description of the nature of ORADEs.

DESIGN

A post-hoc analysis of data collected during three retrospective patient record review studies (in 2008, 2011/2012 and 2015/2016).

SETTING

The three record review studies were conducted in 32 Dutch hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 10 917 patient records were assessed by trained nurses and physicians.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Per identified ORADE, we described preventability, type of medication error, attributable factors and type of opioids involved. Moreover, the characteristics of preventable and non-preventable ORADEs were compared to identify risk factors.

RESULTS

Out of 10 917 patient records, 357 ADEs were identified, of which 28 (8%) involved opioids. Eleven ORADEs were assessed as preventable. Of these, 10 were caused by dosing errors and 4 probably contributed to patients' death. Attributable factors identified were mainly on patient and organisational levels. Morphine and oxycodone were the most frequently involved opioids. The risk for ORADEs was higher in elderly patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Only 8% of ADEs identified in our sample were related to opioids. Although the frequency is low, the risk of serious consequences is high. We recommend to use our findings to increase awareness among physicians and nurses. Future interventions should focus on safe dosing of opioids when prescribing and administering, especially in elderly patients.

Organisation of care for patients using direct oral anticoagulants

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are recommended by several scientific societies as first-line therapy for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, there is uncertainty regarding the organisation of anticoagulation care, with various caregivers being involved. Patients and caregivers are often confronted by uncertainty about the coordination of treatment. With the functional resonance analysis method we visualised the process of anticoagulation care in daily practice in the Maastricht region. This resulted in recommendations on how to improve the organisation of anticoagulation care for DOAC patients.

Resilient Health Care: a systematic review of conceptualisations, study methods and factors that develop resilience

BACKGROUND

Traditional approaches to safety management in health care have focused primarily on counting errors and understanding how things go wrong. Resilient Health Care (RHC) provides an alternative complementary perspective of learning from incidents and understanding how, most of the time, work is safe. The aim of this review was to identify how RHC is conceptualised, described and interpreted in the published literature, to describe the methods used to study RHC, and to identify factors that develop RHC.

METHODS

Electronic searches of PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane databases were performed to identify relevant peer-reviewed studies, and a hand search undertaken for studies published in books that explained how RHC as a concept has been interpreted, what methods have been used to study it, and what factors have been important to its development. Studies were evaluated independently by two researchers. Data was synthesised using a thematic approach.

RESULTS

Thirty-six studies were included; they shared similar descriptions of RHC which was the ability to adjust its functioning prior to, during, or following events and thereby sustain required operations under both expected and unexpected conditions. Qualitative methods were mainly used to study RHC. Two types of data sources have been used: direct (e.g. focus groups and surveys) and indirect (e.g. observations and simulations) data sources. Most of the tools for studying RHC were developed based on predefined resilient constructs and have been categorised into three categories: performance variability and Work As Done, cornerstone capabilities for resilience, and integration with other safety management paradigms. Tools for studying RHC currently exist but have yet to be fully implemented. Effective team relationships, trade-offs and health care 'resilience' training of health care professionals were factors used to develop RHC.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there was consistency in the conceptualisation of RHC, methods used to study and the factors used to develop it, several questions remain to be answered before a gold standard strategy for studying RHC can confidently be identified. These include operationalising RHC assessment methods in multi-level and diverse settings and developing, testing and evaluating interventions to address the wider safety implications of RHC amidst organisational and institutional change.