Table 2 Definitions of expressions used in the protocol
Patient safety | The prevention of errors and adverse effects to patients associated with healthcare [53]. |
Patient safety incident | A patient safety incident is any unintended or unexpected incident which could have or did lead to harm for one or more patients [54]. |
Patient safety culture | The safety culture of an organisation is the product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies, and patterns of behaviour that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organisation’s health and safety management. Organisations with a positive safety culture are characterized by communications founded on mutual trust, by shared perceptions of the importance of safety, and by confidence in the efficacy of preventive measures [55]. |
Continuity of care | Either (i) the provision of services that are coordinated across levels of care - primary care and referral facilities, across settings and providers; (ii) the provision of care throughout the life cycle; (iii) care that continues uninterrupted until the resolution of an episode of disease or risk; or (iv) the degree to which a series of discrete healthcare events are experienced by people as coherent and interconnected over time, and are consistent with their health needs and preferences [37]. |
Integrated care | A concept bringing together inputs, delivery, management and organisation of services related to diagnosis, treatment, care, rehabilitation, and health promotion. Integration is a means to improve services in relation to access, quality, user satisfaction and efficiency [45]. |
Transitional care | A set of actions designed to ensure the coordination and continuity of healthcare as patients transfer between different locations or different levels of care within the same location [56]. |
Transitional patient safety | Patient safety at transitions of care. |
Transitional incident | Any unintended or unexpected incident at transitions of care which could have or did lead to harm for one or more patients. |
Risky situation | Circumstances or events that had the capacity to cause error [57]. |