RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 An epistemology of patient safety research: a framework for study design and interpretation. Part 1. Conceptualising and developing interventions
JF Quality and Safety in Health Care
JO Qual Saf Health Care
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 158
OP 162
DO 10.1136/qshc.2007.023630
VO 17
IS 3
A1 C Brown
A1 T Hofer
A1 A Johal
A1 R Thomson
A1 J Nicholl
A1 B D Franklin
A1 R J Lilford
YR 2008
UL http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/17/3/158.abstract
AB This is the first of a four-part series of articles examining the epistemology of patient safety research. Parts 2 and 3 will describe different study designs and methods of measuring outcomes in the evaluation of patient safety interventions, before Part 4 suggests that “one size does not fit all”. Part 1 sets the scene by defining patient safety research as a challenging form of service delivery and organisational research that has to deal (although not exclusively) with some very rare events. It then considers two inter-related ideas: a causal chain that can be used to identify where in an organisation’s structure and/or processes an intervention may impact; and the need for preimplementation evaluation of proposed interventions. Finally, the paper outlines the authors’ pragmatist ontological stance to patient safety research, which sets the philosophical basis for the remaining three articles.