Challenges in making standardisation work in healthcare: lessons from a qualitative interview study of a line-labelling policy in a UK region.
Publication Date
2019-11-27Journal Title
BMJ open
ISSN
2044-6055
Publisher
BMJ Journals
Volume
9
Issue
11
Pages
e031771
Language
eng
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Physical Medium
Electronic
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Kriznik, N., Lamé, G., & Dixon-Woods, M. (2019). Challenges in making standardisation work in healthcare: lessons from a qualitative interview study of a line-labelling policy in a UK region.. BMJ open, 9 (11), e031771. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031771
Abstract
BSTRACTObjective: To identify and learn from efforts to design and implement a standardised policy for labelling of invasive tubing and lines across a regional health system.Design: Single case study involving qualitative interviews and documentary analysis.Setting: A devolved health system in the UK NHS. Participants: NHS staff (n=10) and policy-makers (n=8) who were involved in the design and/or implementation of the standardised policy. Results: Though standardising labelling of invasive tubing and lines was initially seen as a common-sense technical change, challenges during the process of developing and implementing the policy were multiple and socio-technical in nature. Major challenges related to defining the problem and the solution, limited sustained engagement with stakeholders and users, prototyping/piloting of the solution, and planning for implementation. Some frontline staff remained unconvinced of the need for or value of the policy, since they either did not believe that there was a problem or did not agree that standardised labelling was the right solution. Apparently mundane practical issues such authorisation and resourcing, supply chains for labels, the need to restructure work practices to accommodate the new standard, and the physical features of the labels in specific clinical settings had important impacts. Conclusions: Newly standardised tools and practices have to fit within a system of pre-existing norms, practices and procedures. We identified a number of practical, social and cultural challenges when designing and implementing a standardised policy in a regional healthcare system. Taking account of both socio-cultural and technical aspects of standardisation, combined with systems thinking, could lead to more effective implementation and increase acceptability and usability of new standards
Keywords
Intubation, Qualitative Research, Reference Standards, Product Labeling, Delivery of Health Care, Interviews as Topic, United Kingdom
Sponsorship
This work was supported by MDW’s Wellcome Trust Investigator grant award WT09789. GL and MDW are supported by Health Foundation’s grant to the University of Cambridge for The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute . THIS Institute is supported by the Health Foundation – an independent charity committed to bringing about better health and health care for people in the UK . MDW is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator (NF-SI-0617-10026)
Funder references
Wellcome Trust (097899/Z/11/Z)
Health Foundation (unknown)
Embargo Lift Date
2022-11-04
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031771
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/298696
Rights
All rights reserved