PIONEER has announced it will be part of a new Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC) based in the Midlands, recently established by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The University of Birmingham (UoB) and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) will lead the collaboration, the first of its kind focused on patient safety based in the Midlands, thanks to new funding which will see £3.4m invested in world-leading research to supports patient safety in maternal and acute care settings.
The PSRC will bring together NHS trusts, universities, and private business to evaluate how digital tools can support clinical decision making and reduce risks of harm for expectant mums and anyone in need of emergency treatment.
PIONEER’s role will be to provide patient- and public-supported access to health data, to build new tools to improve the safety of patients in acute care settings.
PIONEER is a collaboration between UHB, UoB and West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust. The PIONEER team will work alongside partners to build and test new digital decision-making tools that could improve prescribing and personalised management for patients requiring emergency medical care.
Professor Elizabeth Sapey, Director PIONEER, Consultant in Acute & Respiratory Medicine, Director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing said:
“Our vision is that every healthcare professional involved in a patients journey in acute care has access to the same information, the same decision-making support, and is able to both spot and flag any point where patients might be at risk of harm.
“We know that medical errors can occur when people suddenly fall unwell, especially in the complex and dynamic environment of acute care services. It is critical that we use technology to ensure that our patients are kept safe. This PSRC will be an important part of building and testing new approaches in patient safety.”
