Safe care
Since many organizations have a major focus on safe practices, safety tends to be regarded as separate from quality. Sunnybrook regards the safe element as an integral part of quality.
| Quality Element | What it means for staff |
What it means for patients
|
 |
We provide care that keeps our patients and each other safe.
|
My care will not harm me.
|

| Lead in Providing the Safest Care Based on Best Evidence and Practice |
| Objective | Actions |
Eliminate preventable harm
|
Eliminate critical, serious and moderate patient safety events related to escalation of care. |
| Reduce cardiac surgical site infection rates to below National Surgical Quality Improvement Program benchmarks. |
| Reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates. |
| Reduce critical patient safety events related to transfer of information. |
View the implementation plan »
| Eliminate preventable harm |
| Actions | Specific deliverables and timelines |
| 2016/17 |
2017/18 |
2018/19 |
| Eliminate critical, serious and moderate patient safety events related to escalation of care. |
- Establish annual reduction goals for three years.
- Achieve the reduction goal for 2016/17.
- Implement the 2016/17 Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) Plan for critical escalation of care events.
- Explore an early warning score system as part of the electronic vital signs project, determine feasibility, and proceed, as appropriate.
|
- Achieve the reduction goal for 2017/18.
- Expand focus to include escalation of care events non-critical harm.
- Identify contributing factors to non-critical events and implement appropriate targeted improvements.
|
- Achieve the reduction goal for 2018/19.
- Complete implementing improvements targeting non-critical events.
|
| Reduce cardiac surgical site infection (SSI) rates to below National Surgical Quality Improvement Program benchmarks. |
- Establish annual reduction goals for three years.
- Achieve the reduction goal for 2016/17.
- Continue to implement and evaluate interventions within current SSI Work Plan.
- Identify further cardiac-specific opportunities for improvement.
|
- Achieve the reduction goal for 2017/18.
- Implement cardiac-specific process improvements across perioperative areas.
|
- Achieve the reduction goal for 2018/19.
- Complete implementing cardiac-specific process improvements across perioperative areas.
|
| Reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates. |
- Establish annual reduction goals for three years.
- Achieve the reduction goal for 2016/17.
- Continue to implement interventions and partnerships to achieve goals.
|
- Achieve the reduction goal for 2017/18.
- Continue to implement interventions and partnerships to achieve goals.
|
- Achieve the reduction goal for 2018/19.
- Complete implementing interventions and partnerships to achieve goals.
|
| Reduce critical patient safety events related to transfer of information (TOI). |
- Establish annual reduction goals for three years.
- Achieve the reduction goal for 2016/17.
- Confirm current baseline to determine target.
- Implement current TOI Required Organizational Practice (ROP) Action Plan.
|
- Achieve the reduction goal for 2017/18.
- Complete ROP action plan (by Nov 2017 survey).
- Identify opportunities for an electronic TOI enabler in alignment with the clinical documentation and SunnyCare systems.
|
- Achieve the reduction goal for 2018/19.
- Continue to develop or implement an electronic TOI solution.
- Analyze remaining contributing factors identified via Safety Reports and implement appropriate corrective actions.
|