Quality and patient safety surveillance systems in healthcare settings: a rapid realist review

Objectives Despite extensive efforts in data collection, quality and safety measurement remains a significant global challenge, with limited understanding of how and under what conditions quality and patient safety surveillance systems function effectively. With the aim of informing the development and effective functioning of quality and patient safety surveillance systems, a rapid realist review was conducted to develop a set of theories that address how, why, for whom and in what context quality and patient safety surveillance systems work.

Design Rapid realist review to inform recommendations and intervention design for the monitoring and evaluation phase of the QS Signals Project, reported according to Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards (RAMESES) guidelines. Data sources Initial programme theories were constructed based on data collected from key articles on quality and patient safety surveillance systems, consultation with an expert panel, informal meetings with a project team charged with developing a quality and patient safety surveillance system for maternal and infant health and a review of the project's planning documents.