Development, Application and Evaluation of a Concept for Safe Patient Identification in Hospital - How can Knowledge Transfer Succeed?

• Published in: Gesundheitswesen (Bundesverband der Ärzte des Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (Germany)) Vol. 79; no. 6; p. 506
• Main Authors: Santos, S, Lessing, C, Schrappe, M, Vollmar, H C, Leve, V, Zschocke, B, Lux, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 01-06-2017
• Subjects: Germany; Health Plan Implementation - organization & administration; Hospitalization; Patient Identification Systems - organization & administration; Patient Safety - standards; Pyridines; Translational Medical Research
• ISSN: 1439-4421
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1549988

In order to minimise the risk of patient misidentification in clinical settings, the German Coalition for Patient Safety published recommendations for safety patient identification in 2008. The aim of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate a theoretical framework of knowledge transfer. The purpose of the framework was to enhance hospital staff's ability to apply the recommendations for safe patient identification in the daily routine of patient care.
A data bank-based research and literature review have been conducted. Research topics were: knowledge transfer, change management and implementation science. Within the application of the concept group interviews were held with hospital staff and the interview material was evaluated using content analysis. On this basis a tailored multifaceted implementation strategy has been developed and applied in 8 hospital wards of 4 hospitals belonging to a communal hospital concern. The evaluation of the developed knowledge transfer concept was conducted 4 weeks after the concept application with a written questionnaire.
The developed framework concept of knowledge translation consisted of 4 phases built on top of each other: initiation phase; analysis phase; implementation phase; evaluation phase. The multifaceted implementation strategy included 3 interventions: a poster, a computer-based training and a guideline for team meetings. The survey yielded responses from 56 individuals: 96% declared that they know about the existence of the recommendations for safe patient identification; 86% said that they know about the content of the recommendations; 91% have striven to apply the recommendations in the daily routine of patient care; 71% stated that the recommendations for safe patient identification have become integral part in the daily routine of patient care. To become aware of the recommendations and its content the respondents have used on average 2.3 interventions, however the effect of the CBS was relatively small.
The developed theoretical framework concept for knowledge transfer provides a way to integrate the recommendations for safe patient identification in the daily routine of patient care and to counteract risk factors promoting misidentification. Therefore a multifaceted implementation strategy is promising.