Outcomes

The final section of the SEIPS model relates to healthcare outcomes. These outcomes relate firstly to the Safety and Quality of patient care. These outcomes are monitored at a Local, Regional, and National basis within our healthcare system.

In line with its human factors’ principles, the SEIPS model also encourages us to consider outcomes relating to staff wellbeing; recognizing that maintaining a healthy, motivated workforce will always be inextricably linked to providing the best patient care.

Activity and Resources

The College remains deeply engaged with initiatives to monitor and improve patient outcomes and safety. We have worked with the Scottish National Mortality and Morbidity programme and have hosted its annual workshop to promote team-based quality reviews. We have also developed a one-day workshop to train surgical teams in how best to carry out effective Team Based Quality Reviews.

The College works with CORESS (Confidential Reporting System in Surgery), an independent confidential educational service established in 2005 to promote safety in surgical practice. Any surgical team member can voluntarily submit reports in confidence via the CORESS website. The case is then reviewed by experts in the appropriate specialty and if useful lessons can be learned an unidentifiable version is published in the surgical literature together with comments from the Expert Advisory Committee.

The College is represented on NCEPOD (National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death), an independent body whose remit is to assist in maintaining and improving the quality of patient care by undertaking confidential surveys and research.

Staff wellbeing is an essential outcome to the Human Factors approach to patient safety; it feeds back to many of the essential determinants of the system – recruitment & retention, workplace culture, and task performance. This is a key area of work within the College. The Trainees’ Committee run a very popular Wellbeing Week each year and provide a wealth of on-line resources in this area. The College has contributed to the GMC Advisory Group on the Wellbeing of the Medical Profession. The Patient Safety webinar series includes a session on Helping Surgeons when Things Go Wrong. The College now runs a regular workshop for surgeons on Dealing With Mistakes.

Learn more about the other areas of the SEIPS model here.


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