Creating safe care in the private homes of people with complex care needs: A systems safety perspective

In Sweden, as in the rest of the western world, more and more healthcare is being provided at home for people with complex care needs. This change means that advanced care and the use of medical technology must be carried out safely, even in a home environment. How this can be achieved is an unexplored area. In order to systematically improve the provision of safe care in the home, we need to know how different professionals working in home healthcare identify shortcomings and manage complex situations in order to deliver safe care.

The overall aim of the studies is to explore, from a systems perspective, organisational and professional aspects of communication, knowledge development and decision-making in multi-professional teams, which are all important for delivering safe care at home for people with complex care needs. The studies are being carried out at three different units that provide specialised health care in the home (ASIH) in Stockholm County. The studies have an exploratory design using an ethnographic method and are being carried out in iterative cycles. The data collection methods used are observations, audio recordings, focus group interviews and individual interviews.