Quality and Safety Improvement Research Methods and Research Practice from the International Quality Improvement Research Network

Citation

(2008), "Quality and Safety Improvement Research Methods and Research Practice from the International Quality Improvement Research Network", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 21 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2008.06221gae.001

Quality and Safety Improvement Research Methods and Research Practice from the International Quality Improvement Research Network

Article Type: Book review From: International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Volume 21, Issue 7

Edited by John Øvretveit and Paulo SousaEscuola Nacional de Saúdè Pública – Universidade Nova de Lisbon978-972-98811-8-3

Keywords: Quality improvement processes, Quality health services, Patient safety

John Øvreteit and Paulo Sousa have produced an extremely useful book that looks, not at a prescriptive panacea for improving quality and safety, but at how many individuals and teams of quality researchers have addressed issues of patient safety and quality health services as they were presented to them. The editors' goal was to "...encourage the cumulative growth of knowledge by helping researchers relate their research to that of others..."

The book is broken down into project headings from pre-planning through to publication and lessons learnt. The process of how each of these areas was tackled by particular individuals and/or project teams is then spelt put in their own words. These are their stories. There is a very useful final section of appendices that include suggestions on formats for presenting, getting advice, improving plans, checklists, etc.

The geographic breadth of the book is fascinating, showing how many issues are common to patient quality and safety throughout the world. The effect of this bears out the editors' goal to bring together a “community” of quality researchers that, as a whole, can offer the possibility of improving the process of quality improvement itself.

It is a highly satisfactory book in terms of its value to the reader. The case studies are well thought out in terms of presentation and readability. They do not preach, rather they inform and thereby engage. All readers will gain a good understanding of how different approaches were made to tackle certain areas.

The book should appeal not just to quality researchers but to all those who are interested in continually improving patient health and safety.

Contents include:

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  Introduction.

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  Planning Quality and Safety Improvement Research.

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  Initial Data Gathering.

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  After Data gathering and Doing the Analysis.

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  Writing Thesis and Publication.

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  Completed Research and Lessons for Others.

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  Appendices.