Importance of Accountability on Providing Patient Safety in Dammam, Saudi Arabia (Thesis Proposal Sample)

IMPORTANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY ON PROVIDING PATIENT SAFETY IN DAMMAM, SAUDI ARABIA
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Abstract
For the last decade or so, patient safety has surfaced as a key concern in hospitals, cropping up from information of deplorable levels of damage to patients witnessed during the procedure of administration of healthcare itself, rather than the underlying ailment. The ever-escalating intricacy of health care endowment is constantly alluded to as a fundamental aspect, and besides justifies for more transparency and predominantly accountability. This proposal intends to assess the significance of accountability in facilitating patient safety in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. This proposal intends to encapsulate an analysis of the complex execution of this formal accountability as well as disputing its assumptions. The researcher proposes that patient safety in Dammam is meagerly comprehended with respect to the current practices shown by medical practitioners and clinicians, similarly to accountability. The proposed thesis therefore intends to center on surveying accountability and safety as practices. Accountability is not only to be portrayed in formal phrases, but equally informal and daily behavior and utterances. A thorough literature review is to be opted with an apt methodology being proposed. The rationale of this proposal lies within the instigation of health care that is more accountable and safer, through enabling health care practitioners as well as the patients to engage more variously and being extra liable, as a way of shifting the current constraints of health care provision.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To begin with, and most predominantly I give thanks to Allah, who made everything achievable during my course duration, and as I am about to partake my research study. I equally take this opportunity to articulate my heartfelt appreciation to my tutor and supervisor [Please incorporate your supervisor’s names], who has been a source of encouragement, mentorship and guidance. My additional gratitude goes to my university (include the name of your university) for shaping me into whom I am and whom I yet to become. To my family and friends, all I can say is for Allah’s love and blessing to be upon you for your constant support, love and care.
Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Abstract PAGEREF _Toc436471198 \h 2ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PAGEREF _Toc436471199 \h 3Chapter 1: Review of related literature PAGEREF _Toc436471200 \h 51.1Introduction PAGEREF _Toc436471201 \h 51.3Patient Safety PAGEREF _Toc436471202 \h 71.3.1 Promoting patient safety: Health practitioners perspective PAGEREF _Toc436471203 \h 81.3.2 Conflict and conflict management in health care environment PAGEREF _Toc436471204 \h 91.4 Accountability Review: Doctors’ and Nurses’ perspectives PAGEREF _Toc436471205 \h 101.4.1 Patient’s Accountability Perspective PAGEREF _Toc436471206 \h 131.5 Significance of the study PAGEREF _Toc436471207 \h 141.6Aim of the study PAGEREF _Toc436471208 \h 141.8 Research questions and Hypotheses PAGEREF _Toc436471209 \h 15Chapter 2: Methodology PAGEREF _Toc436471210 \h 152.1 Study design PAGEREF _Toc436471211 \h 162.2 Study setting PAGEREF _Toc436471212 \h 172.3 Population and sample PAGEREF _Toc436471213 \h 172.3.1 Inclusion and exclusion criteria PAGEREF _Toc436471214 \h 182.4 Methods of data collection PAGEREF _Toc436471215 \h 182.5 Robustness of data collection approaches PAGEREF _Toc436471216 \h 182.6 Data analysis PAGEREF _Toc436471217 \h 192.7 Ethical consideration PAGEREF _Toc436471218 \h 202.7.1 Ethical Approval PAGEREF _Toc436471219 \h 202.8 Pilot study: PAGEREF _Toc436471220 \h 212.9 Procedure for the main study PAGEREF _Toc436471221 \h 22Chapter 3: Planning the research project PAGEREF _Toc436471222 \h 233.1 Predicted study outcome PAGEREF _Toc436471223 \h 23Estimated budget PAGEREF _Toc436471224 \h 25Bibliography PAGEREF _Toc436471225 \h 26Appendices PAGEREF _Toc436471226 \h 30Questionnaire PAGEREF _Toc436471227 \h 30Participant Information Sheet PAGEREF _Toc436471228 \h 38Participant consent Sheet PAGEREF _Toc436471229 \h 40
Chapter 1: Review of related literature
1.1Introduction
For the last decade or so, patient safety has surfaced as a key concern in hospitals, cropping up from information of deplorable levels of damage to patients witnessed during the procedure of administration of healthcare itself, rather than the underlying ailment. An escalating research association has been instigated to assess the reason behind such harms, and the counter measures to be implemented in handling it. The ever-escalating intricacy of health care endowment is constantly alluded to as a fundamental aspect, and besides justifies for more transparency and predominantly accountability. There is therefore the need to assess the significance of accountability in facilitating patient safety, and particularly in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The researcher intends to engage a survey of current and related literature in this field as well as conducting a case study in "Almana General Hospital”,Khobar, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. This chapter covers a review of related literature on significance of accountability on facilitating patient safety in healthcare facilities. The literature therefore centers on surveying accountability and safety as practices, while reviewing the roles of the health practitioners (nurses and doctors), patients, and the general community.
Since the early 1990’s, the health sector has witnessed myriad reforms that influenced procedural standards within health facilities and eventually posing some changes in accountability perceptions (Frink et al., 2008). Therefore, there is the call for reviewing the related literature on such reforms with the intent of comprehending how sufficient or meager this literature is, hence offer recommendations where possible. From an empirical study conducted by Johnstone et al., (2007), EBM was adequately studied since its implementation in early 90s. An identical research to that of Johnstone and colleagues, conducted by Haynes (2002) as quoted in Suokas (2010) defines EBM as a set of tools and resources for finding and applying current best evidence from research for the care of individual patients" or equally as provided by Sackett and quoted in Suokas (2010) "‘the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients" (p.71). The researcher engaged a research approach encapsulating both health and sociological services in assessing the instigation of EBM and initial ‘warning systems’ in hospital wards. The setting was however in the United Kingdom as well as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the data being collected for duration of 3 years (from 2006 to 2008), utilizing interviews as well as ethnographic observations. The current proposed study intends to engage only questionnaires in collecting the data, hence predicting a huge dissimilarity with this reviewed piece of literature. Therefore, Jonstone et al. and Sackett as quoted in Suokas (2010) realized a great disparity in accountability between the two nations, with Saudi Arabian medical practitioners depicting high cases of unaccountability during their daily chores and attendance to patients.
Therefore, the current study finds this as a key major issue worth researching as well as justifying the practicability and feasibility of the proposed thesis. Additionally, the findings from the study by Suokas (2010) indicates how accountability respective of bedside observations was composed via amalgamating hierarchical liability in gratifying formal obligations, and horizontal accountability in promoting reasonable use of official and apposite rules and accountabilities in integrating help and assistance. Some of the key problems mentioned in Suokas’ (2010) research included ritualistic compliance, unnecessary alerts, and false reassurance, which eventually created redundant work in addition to making patients uncomfortable. As a way of handling these issues, Suokas (2010) suggested an extensive focus on the alert system to surpass the liability of daily management of primary warning schemes among members. The current proposed study intends to offer a pertinent recommendation in tackling such discrepancies, and eventually mitigate such incidences within health care facilities.
The key intent of EBM emergence in medical sector was to instigate a predominant social movement intending to base medical judgments on scientific justification in preference to individual observation and expertise (Lutfey&Freese, 2007). With reference to Wennberg&Wennberg, 2003), this objective reacted to substantiation of redundant practice deviation, that is, ‘care that is not consistent with a patient's preference or relate to a patient's underlying illness" (p.164). The uniqueness of this movement laid within its aptitude to challenge, even though repeatedly ineffectively, the capacity personal practitioners to come to a decision regarding the choice and conduct of health care procedures.
1.3Patient Safety
Mitchell (2008) defines patient safety as the deterrence of harm to patients emphasizing on the care-delivery scheme that deters faults, gains from faults that do not crop up, and is founded on a safety culture that encapsulates organizations, medical practitioners and patients.
Back in 2006, W.H.O gathered several international professionals to categorize the fundamental areas for patient safety studies. The key objective of this step was to provide study officials and facilitating institutions with overall supervision on such priorities with the intent of promoting patient safety. The group encapsulated professionals in healthcare research, patient...