Learning from experience: Integrating patient experience survey responses with other key metrics to understand and improve care quality and patient safety

ISSUE: The Irish National Care Experience Programme (NCEP) collects rich qualitative and quantitative data on patient and service-user experiences of healthcare. These survey data are not routinely triangulated with other quality and safety datasets for patient safety surveillance. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM: The Irish Health Service Executive has commenced development of a quality and patient safety surveillance system called Quality and Safety Signals (QS Signals). This programme seeks to optimise the use of existing data to reduce variability in quality and safety of services, identify risks and signals of concern, as well as learnings from signals of excellence. Patient experience data is a rich source of insight into quality and safety of care but currently, it is not routinely considered alongside other quality and safety measures. RESULTS: As a proof of concept, the Quality and Safety Signals programme is collaborating with the National Women and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP) to develop a composite profile of quality and safety for maternity and neonatal services. A Clinical Advisory Group (CAG) has been established with multi-disciplinary clinical representation from Ireland's six Maternity Networks. To reach agreement amongst the CAG on the indicators relevant to the measurement of quality and safety, a series of interviews, workshops and a Delphi Survey are being conducted. The co-design process seeks consensus on the themes and classification structure appropriate for a composite profile of quality and safety. LESSONS: The implementation of a patient safety surveillance system challenges the Irish health system to reflect on how available data can best be harnessed. Person-centredness is a core domain of healthcare quality. Capturing the person's experience of care through the NCEP surveys is vital to ensuring the development of a comprehensive profile and guiding quality improvements.