Evidence map›Paper›PMID 19147597›Full record

ArticleInternational journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care2009

Towards an International Classification for Patient Safety: key concepts and terms.

William Runciman, Peter Hibbert, Richard Thomson, Tjerk Van Der Schaaf, Heather Sherman, Pierre Lewalle

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 134 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
134citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

134 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Using consumer engagement strategies to improve healthcare safety for young people: An exploration of the relevance and suitability of current approaches.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2022
    Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. How safe is prehospital care? A systematic review.International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care · 2021
    Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Pooled it
  9. Pooled it
  10. Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Trial
  14. Article
  15. General practice follow-up after hospital discharge in older adults: retrospective record analysis in UK primary care.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

74 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

William RuncimanUniversity of South Australia, Joanna Briggs Institute and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Level 5 McEwin Building, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Tce Adelaide 5000, SA, Australia.
Peter Hibbert
Richard Thomson
Tjerk Van Der Schaaf
Heather Sherman
Pierre Lewalle

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUnderstanding the patient safety literature has been compromised by the inconsistent use of language.

objectiveTo identify key concepts of relevance to the International Patient Safety Classification (ICPS) proposed by the World Alliance For Patient Safety of the World Health Organization (WHO), and agree on definitions and preferred terms.

methodsSix principles were agreed upon-that the concepts and terms should: be applicable across the full spectrum of healthcare; be consistent with concepts from other WHO Classifications; have meanings as close as possible to those in colloquial use; convey the appropriate meanings with respect to patient safety; be brief and clear, without unnecessary or redundant qualifiers; be fit-for-purpose for the ICPS.

resultsDefinitions and preferred terms were agreed for 48 concepts of relevance to the ICPS; these were described and the relationships between them and the ICPS were outlined.

conclusionsThe consistent use of key concepts, definitions and preferred terms should pave the way for better understanding, for comparisons between facilities and jurisdictions, and for trends to be tracked over time. Changes and improvements, translation into other languages and alignment with other sets of patient safety definitions will be necessary. This work represents the start of an ongoing process of progressively improving a common international understanding of terms and concepts relevant to patient safety.

Indexed as

Concept FormationInternational CooperationTerminology as TopicDelivery of Health CareMedical ErrorsSafety ManagementSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID19147597
PMCPMC2638755

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.