Table 4 Quality improvement (QI) strategies as applied in European hospitals: specific patient safety systems; total and per country*, numbers are valid percentages (total item response in absolute numbers)
Specification of QI strategyTotalIrelandBelgiumFranceSpainPolandCzech Republic
Adverse event reporting and analysis† (n = 348)3482224661067537
    150.090.920.856.130.250.783.8
    214.44.58.318.213.214.710.8
    328.24.558.322.743.425.35.4
    46.008.33.012.35.30
Risk management programme/system† (n = 348)3482324661067338
    139.191.316.740.934.921.957.9
    213.84.34.216.79.415.123.7
    325.34.354.239.430.215.15.3
    418.7016.73.023.638.413.2
Patient safety person/groupy = 73.5 (347)y = 95.7 (23)y = 58.3 (24)y = 83.1 (65)y = 75.0 (104)y = 54.1 (74)y = 74.4 (39)
Patient identification systems: use of bracelets in the emergency departmenty = 39.8 (334)y = 56.5 (23)y = 63.6 (22)y = 37.3 (61)y = 38.8 (103)y = 36.4 (77)y = 14.7 (34)
Patient identification systems: use of bracelets for admitted patientsy = 46.5 (333)y = 100 (23)y = 90.9 (22)y = 29.5 (61)y = 42.2 (102)y = 35.1 (77)y = 29.4 (34)
Drug safety:
    Standardised limited number of drugsy = 91.4 (348)y = 73.9 (23)y = 95.8 (24)y = 84.6 (65)y = 99.0 (105)y = 98.7 (76)y = 73.7 (38)
    Electronic drug prescription systemy = 39.4 (350)y = 13.0 (23)y = 25.0 (24)y = 33.3 (66)y = 38.7 (106)y = 38.2 (76)y = 86.8 (38)
    Expiration date checked (AMI)y = 91.4 (315)y = 81.8 (22)y = 91.7 (24)y = 84.8 (46)y = 90.1 (101)y = 97.1 (70)y = 94.7 (38)
    Drugs locked (AMI)y = 73.5 (317)y = 81.8 (22)y = 75.0 (24)y = 69.6 (46)y = 43.1 (102)y = 98.6 (70)y = 97.4 (38)
    HR drugs separately stored (AMI)y = 89.9 (316)y = 85.7 (21)y = 91.7 (24)y = 80.4 (46)y = 90.2 (102)y = 97.1 (70)y = 84.2 (38)
MRSA testing (AMI)y = 6.9 (306)y = 4.8 (21)y = 4.2 (24)y = 4.7 (43)y = 0 (99)y = 14.9 (67)y = 5.4 (37)
Reporting complications to medical staffy = 55.6 (304)y = 44.4 (18)y = 35.0 (20)y = 22.8 (57)y = 63.6 (88)y = 58.3 (72)y = 85.7 (35)
  • *The results for the UK and the Netherlands are included in the total but not listed separately, due to the very low response rates.

  • †The sum of percentages may not always equal 100%; the percentage answers ‘don’t know/no answer’ are not listed here. 1 =  yes, in most departments (>50%); 2 =  yes, in most departments (>50%), but not systematically; 3 =  yes, in some departments (<50%); 4 =  no. y, yes.

  • AMI, acute myocardial infarction; MRSA, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.