On June 11, we enjoyed a new edition of the Spanish Patient Safety in Primary Care Conference. A meeting whose objective is to share, analyse and debate experiences, good practices and projects aimed at improving patient safety, promoting the participation of professionals and also, increasingly, of patients, their families and caregivers.

Held in the Hospital Clínico San Carlos Teaching Pavilion in Madrid, the XVI Conference on Patient Safety in Primary Care had as its motto “Together for safe care. The active role of the patient”, thus focusing on the importance of promoting the active participation of the patient. The patient, her/his family and her/his caregivers can act as a safety barrier during care, contributing both to the prevention of certain failures and errors, as well as to their early detection and effective communication.

This Conference is organised jointly by the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), the Spanish Society of Healthcare Quality (SECA), the Federation of Community and Primary Care Nursing Associations (FAECAP), the Spanish Society of Healthcare Pharmacists Primary Care (SEFAP), the Spanish Association of Primary Care Pediatrics (AEPAP), the Spanish Society of Out-of-hospital Pediatrics and Primary Care (SEPEAP) and the Spanish Ministry of Health.

The inaugural conference was given by Nacho Ricci, biologist, doctor in Epidemiology and Public Health, senior researcher at the Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa) and member of the semFYC patient safety working group. With the title “SinergiAPS Project: collecting the experience of patients in primary care in relation to their safety”, he highlighted the importance of having effective tools to incorporate the experience of patients in relation to the safety of care. In this sense, he presented the results of the surveys carried out on 11,000 patients, which have assessed the level of perceived safety in 105 health centres in the eight Autonomous Communities that are currently participating in the project in Spain.

https://sano-y-salvo.blogspot.com/2024/05/proyecto-sinergiaps-recogiendo-la.html

The 10 best communications, previously evaluated by the scientific committee, were presented to all attendees in the auditorium. After a brief break, the other 50 accepted communications were presented, synchronously, spread across three rooms.

Antonio Manfredi, journalist, chronic patient, member of the patient association “Acción Psoriasis” and communication advisor of the Spanish Patient Forum (FEP), gave the closing conference titled “The patient always in the center”, in which he pointed out the important work carried out by patient associations in providing information and advice to patients and families, and urged professionals to “prescribe patient association” as a key aspect to empower patients.

https://sano-y-salvo.blogspot.com/2024/05/el-paciente-siempre-en-el-centro.html 

Next, Pilar Astier, coordinator of the semFYC and SECA Patient Safety working group, proceeded to moderate the closing panel, and presented the scientific summary of the day:

Engaging patients, their families, and caregivers is a key strategic objective of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030. This topic has been addressed from three perspectives during the session: 

1) Research perspective: The preliminary results of a national research study, SinergiAP (“Synergies between professionals and patients for Safe Primary Care”), were presented. In this study, the patient is an essential source of information regarding their experience with safe care in primary care, and includes an intervention phase where primary care teams implement improvement actions to address areas identified by patients, followed by monitoring and evaluation. 

2) Patient associations perspective: The valuable contribution of patients and associations in creating a safer journey through the healthcare system was highlighted.

3) Primary care professionals’ experiences in improving patient safety: These experiences focused mainly on safe medication use, risk management, patient safety-related incident management, and patient involvement in their own safety.

The presentations, communications, workshops, and the debate among participants on improving patient safety by activating patient participation provided us with key insights for advancing the culture of patient safety within our organizations and primary care teams.

Finally, the “Fernando Palacio Awards” were presented to the three best communications:

Best long communication: "In search of the missing incident: Professionals reviewing Medical Records with the TriggerPrim® Tool"

https://sano-y-salvo.blogspot.com/2024/06/en-busca-del-incidente-perdido.html 

Best short communication: "Can we improve the management of lactational mastitis in primary care?"

https://sano-y-salvo.blogspot.com/2024/06/podemos-mejorar-el-manejo-de-la.html 

Best teaching case presented by professionals in training: "Activating the patient in her safety"

https://sano-y-salvo.blogspot.com/2024/07/activando-al-paciente-en-su-seguridad.html 

After the closing table, composed of Alberto Pardo, Deputy Director General of Quality Care of the Ministry of Health of the Community of Madrid, Soledad Gómez-Escalonilla, President of the Castellano-La Mancha Association of Family and Community Nursing, FAECAP and co-president of the Scientific Committee of the day, and Pilar Astier, representing SECA, the three workshops were held

Workshop 1. “What to do and what not to do to promote patient participation in patient safety”, run by Rosa Añel and Natalia Rilla.

https://sano-y-salvo.blogspot.com/2024/05/taller-que-hacer-y-que-no-hacer-para.html 

Workshop 2. “Interactive clinical cases in relation to patient safety”, run by Rubén Blanco and Rafael Bravo.

https://sano-y-salvo.blogspot.com/2024/05/taller-casos-clinicos-interactivos-en.html 

Workshop 3. “Theatre, the tool. The objective, the safe management of medication in families”, run by Marisa Gascón, Concepción Párraga and Edurne Ciriza./