Continuous improvement of safety in the Intensive Care and Surgical environment according to UNE 179003:2013 standard: 8 years experience

The UNE 179003:2013 standard requires compliance with protocols to reduce the risks of patients from adverse events. A description is presented of the procedure used in the Hospital Povisa to achieve UNE 179003:2010 certification for the intensive care unit, surgical division, and post-anaesthesia recovery unit (PARU). This was based on a risk management system, focusing on pro-active analysis using failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) with the description of causes, consequences, risk weighting, and specific risk-minimising measures. A description is also presented of the analysis of reported adverse events (reactive analysis) in the Safety in Anesthesia and Resuscitation (SENSAR) notification system and the measures implemented over an eight-year period. The UNE 179003:2010 certification was obtained in July 2012, and the re-certification was achieved in July 2015. A total of 66 potential risks were established, which were weighted using a risk probability index (RPI), and measures were implemented that reduced this RPI by half. It also reflects the analysis of 1114 events declared in the SENSAR system over the past eight years, allowing for the introduction of 2681 measures, of which 98.4% are fully implemented. The application of the risk management methodology allowed (a) to improve safety in the area of action by reducing the risk to which the patients are subject, and (b) to gain certification in the UNE 179003 standard.