title: Monitoring patient safety in primary care: an exploratory study using in-depth semistructured interviews.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore how information and data are used to monitor patient safety and quality of primary care by professionals working in, or supporting, primary healthcare.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative study of semistructured interviews with a directed content analysis of transcripts.
  
  
  METHODS
  North-West London, UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  21 individuals from various levels of the primary healthcare system were recruited, including general practitioners, practice nurses, practice managers, members of Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) governing bodies, and senior members of regional patient safety teams.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants described being overwhelmed with complicated data which lacked any meaningful analyses about safety and quality. There was also a lack of clarity over which patient safety events are expected to be reported or monitored. Participants also reported uncertainty on whose responsibility it was to act on patient safety information or concerns. At the practice level, there was a range of disincentives for responding to and acting on safety issues and concerns, with few reported benefits. Participants made recommendations to improve future monitoring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for clearer information in the form of specific guidelines, policies and procedures with regard to who monitors patient safety in primary care, what is monitored and how it should be monitored.
authors.affiliation: Dr Foster Unit at Imperial, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Rajvinder
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Samra
authors.affiliation: Dr Foster Unit at Imperial, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9978-2011
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bottle
authors.affiliation: Dr Foster Unit at Imperial, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4589-1743
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aylin
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*
keywords: PRIMARY CARE; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH