The DOI matches its Crossref record; 48 of the 49 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The role of theory in research to develop and evaluate the implementation of patient safety practices: Figure 1
Abstract
Theories provide a way of understanding and predicting the effects of patient safety practices (PSPs), interventions intended to prevent or mitigate harm caused by healthcare or risks of such harm. Yet most published evaluations make little or no explicit reference to theory, thereby hindering efforts to generalise findings from one context to another. Theories from a wide range of disciplines are potentially relevant to research on PSPs. Theory can be used in research to explain clinical and organisational behaviour, to guide the development and selection of PSPs, and in evaluating their implementation and mechanisms of action. One key recommendation from an expert consensus process is that researchers should describe the theoretical basis for chosen intervention components or provide an explicit logic model for ‘why this PSP should work.’ Future theory-driven evaluations would enhance generalisability and help build a cumulative understanding of the nature of change.
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“In this article, we join others in arguing that the explicit application of theory could shorten the time needed to develop improvement interventions, optimise their design, identify conditions of context necessary for their success, and enhance learning from those efforts.4–9”
From Demystifying theory and its use in improvement (2015) · cites this paper as [4]
In the citing paper
“In this article, we join others in arguing that the explicit application of theory could shorten the time needed to develop improvement interventions, optimise their design, identify conditions of context necessary for their success, and enhance learning from those efforts.4–9”
From Demystifying theory and its use in improvement (2015) · cites this paper as [4]
In the citing paper
“In this article, we join others in arguing that the explicit application of theory could shorten the time needed to develop improvement interventions, optimise their design, identify conditions of context necessary for their success, and enhance learning from those efforts.4–9”
From Demystifying theory and its use in improvement (2015) · cites this paper as [4]
In the citing paper
“In this article, we join others in arguing that the explicit application of theory could shorten the time needed to develop improvement interventions, optimise their design, identify conditions of context necessary for their success, and enhance learning from those efforts.4–9”
From Demystifying theory and its use in improvement (2015) · cites this paper as [4]
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“In addition, few studies used theory to inform hypothesis testing, thus limiting the generalizability of how implementation occurs across disease conditions, interventions, and contexts (Foy et al., 2011; Kislov et al., 2019).”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Foy, R., Ovretveit, J., Shekelle, P. G., Pronovost, P. J., Taylor, S. L., Dy, S., Hempel, S., McDonald, K. M., Rubenstein, L. V., & Wachter, R. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Leeds (GB)
- RAND Corporation (US)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Stanford University (US)
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- Corresponding author
- Foy, Robbie
- ORCID
- Venue
- BMJ Quality & Safety
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2011-02-11
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 453-459
- ISSN
- 1475-3898 (ISSN-L)
- 2044-5415
- 2044-5423
- OpenAlex
- W2116131319
- Cited by
- 148
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 20.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- BMJ Quality & Safety (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Patient Safety and Medication Errors
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Healthcare Quality and Management
- Keywords
- patient safety measures, theory-based evaluation, implementation evaluation, logic model, generalizability, intervention development, mechanism of action, expert consensus, organizational behavior
- MeSH terms
- Health Services Research, Humans, Models, Theoretical, Planning Techniques, Psychological Theory, Models, Organizational, Safety Management
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