Patient Safety in Primary Health Care in a Brazilian municipality

Marcelo Pereira Da Rocha,Iago Freitas Vieira,Ingrid Soares Viana

doi:10.1590/s0103-73312021310420

Marcelo Pereira Da Rocha, Iago Freitas Vieira + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0103-73312021310420

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Abstract

Abstract The adoption of safe practices by health services drives out health harms and preventable deaths at all levels of health care. This study aimed to understand how patient safety actions are organized in the conception of primary health care professionals in a municipality in the state of Bahia. exploratory research, with a qualitative approach, was performed through in person and online interviews with two Nurses and three Dental Surgeons, with broad knowledge of the researched matter and working in traditional primary care and Family Health teams. Data were analyzed through content analysis. It was perceived that knowledge of the researched topic was insufficient and that there was a need for the matter to become part of the teams’ discussion agenda. The reports point out that, in the interviewees’ view, actions related to patient safety are not yet implemented in the researched location. It was identified the need for structuring actions aimed at preventing adverse events and institutionalizing safety in health care.

Highlights

Every year, millions of patients around the world suffer harms and die as a result of unsafe practices in health services
The content of the interviews allowed for the construction of six categories of analysis: The professionals’ view about patient safety, knowledge on the topic and continuing health education (CHE) actions; Identification of risks and prevention measures; Work environment and infrastructure of health facilities; Reception and relationship with the population; Institutionalization of patient safety actions and, Potentialities and difficulties related to patient safety actions
From the participants’ speeches, there are different views about Patient Safety (PS), such as mentions of access, infection control, practices adopted in the institution, the notion of law, among others, as shown below: “You have the safety from his access to the health service to the conditions of infection control; there are several aspects” (I2). “[...] it starts from receiving the patient

Summary

Introduction

Millions of patients around the world suffer harms and die as a result of unsafe practices in health services. In Primary Health Care (PHC), errors related to the use of medications, misdiagnoses and poorly conducted treatments are frequent, as well as problems in communication and in the relationship between health professionals and patients (LAWATI et al, 2018). Patient Safety (PS) is conceptualized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the reduction of avoidable harms associated with health care to a minimum acceptable level (WHO, 2009). It should be highlighted the growing incorporation of technologies, the complexity of health care and the need for professionalized management of services for greater safety in health care (BRASIL, 2014)

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