This work is being funded by the Western Norway Regional Health Authority, SUS, the Lærdal Foundation and the University Fund.
The University of Bergen is the external partner, and the programme has an executive committee with participants from the Bergen and Stavanger hospital trusts and the UiS.
Four PhD students and one post-doctoral researcher are currently attached to the programme, which will run from 2005 to 2008.
Projects
The following research projects have been defined within the programme so far:
- principles and models for risk management of patient safety
- safety culture, risk perception and communication in the health sector
- error-handling in the health sector (read more)
- patient simulation and interactive learning to improve patient safety
The programme gives scope for defining additional projects relating to patient safety under each of these topics.
Projects pursued within the programme are expected to be long-term and to have a scope and depth corresponding to work for a PhD.
Education and research in patient simulation at Safer plays a key role in developing projects.
Object
The object is to secure knowledge which can improve understanding of patient safety and provide a better basis for risk management in the health sector.
Important subsidiary goals include helping to specify the premises for patient safety, establish overall principles, methods and models for managing risk in the patient safety field, study patient safety in a broader social perspective and explore how different ways of organising risk management can influence patient safety.
The biggest challenge for knowledge of patient safety is building bridges between different professions and research-based perspectives in the health sector. As a result, the programme embraces research projects which involve different approaches to and perspectives on patient safety.
