Patient safety: developing a resource of Cochrane Reviews

Article type
Authors
Ni Ogain O1, Tort S2, Tovey D3
1Cochrane Editorial Unit, Cochrane Central Executive
2Cochrane Editorial Unit
3Editor in Chief, The Cochrane Library
Abstract
Objectives:
To examine how Cochrane Reviews (CR) currently cover patient safety topics, to identify opportunities and priorities for future CRs.

Description:
One of the goals of the Cochrane 'Strategy to 2020' is the production of high-quality, relevant, up-to-date systematic reviews and other synthesized research evidence to inform health decision-making. Patient safety is important to all individuals and systems delivering healthcare or making decisions on health. As a discipline, patient safety covers different topic areas, including healthcare-associated infection, medication safety, procedural and surgical practices, practices for the care of vulnerable patients, training, and effective teamwork. There are many CRs across Cochrane Review Groups that are relevant to patient safety. There may also be gaps within current CR coverage. Identifying these may present opportunities for us to develop new reviews that address key uncertainties in patient safety.

We will present a proposed classification system of topic areas within patient safety, which will form the basis of a patient safety resource of CRs. We will discuss how CRs currently cover questions of relevance to patient safety, by mapping current Cochrane Reviews to this proposed classification system. We will discuss key uncertainties and questions in patient safety and try to identify areas that are not covered by existing CRs but could be.