What metrics should I use to evaluate the success of a QI initiative focused on patient safety?

To evaluate the success of a quality improvement initiative focused on patient safety, use a combination of patient-reported outcome measures, safety outcome measures, and staff-reported measures relevant to the clinical setting.

Key metrics include:

• Patient-reported outcomes: adequacy of communication, meeting care needs, pain management, and patient satisfaction surveys (e.g., National Inpatient Survey or Maternity Services Survey) ¹,².
• Safety outcome measures: incidence and severity of falls, pressure ulcers developed or worsened after admission, medication administration errors, and other patient safety incidents including near misses and adverse events ²,³,⁴.
• Staff-reported measures: staff morale, missed breaks, overtime work, sickness absence, and job satisfaction, which can impact patient safety indirectly ¹,².
• Staffing and workload indicators: planned versus actual staffing levels, staff-to-patient ratios, and red flag events indicating inadequate staffing to meet patient needs ¹,².
• Incident reporting and learning: number and timeliness of reported patient safety incidents, investigations, and actions taken to address medicines-related and other safety incidents ³,⁴.

Regularly collect and analyse these metrics, comparing them over time and against local benchmarks to assess improvements in patient safety ².