A research project focusing on quality and patient safety in hospitals has been offered €3 million from the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme - Health. The Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare is one of six collaborating project partners.
In the project "Quality and safety in European Union hospitals: A research-based guide for implementing best practice and a framework for assessing performance" the researcher teams will carry out ten case studies of quality and safety improvement efforts. The findings from the project will form the basis for two important evidence-based documents to guide European healthcare: a quality and safety guide and a framework for assessing quality and safety in hospitals.
"We have limited knowledge, at present, about what works best under different circumstances. Such information is particularly important now that more and more patients seek healthcare across national borders in Europe. This project will give us unique insights and advance existing knowledge due to the opportunities it offers us to compare experiences from several healthcare systems," says Johan Thor, Director of the Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare.
The project is co-ordinated by King's College, London, the UK, and has been offered funding by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme for Health. Several prominent European research institutions participate in the project, including the Department of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam; the Centre for Patient Safety and Service Quality, Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine, London along with the Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare.
The Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare was founded in the beginning of 2009 jointly by Jönköping University, the County Council of Jönköping and the 13 municipalities in the county. The Academy aspires to be a national and international forum for research and education regarding leadership and improvement of health and welfare.