Implementation of HFMEA in a Primary Care Emergency Service of the Portuguese National Health System: A case study
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Background: One of the main priorities for healthcare institutions is to provide better and more advanced services that contribute to prolonging the lives of those who seek their care, as well as improving their quality of life as long as it lasts. Both their patients and the professionals who work in those institutions need to feel protected against adverse effects that may affect them physically, mentally, or socially. As such, both at national and international levels, healthcare governing bodies have made decisions and implemented measures aimed at reducing the risk of adverse effects for the patients who use their services. Objectives: The main objective of this work was to develop and implement a risk management system based on HFMEA in a basic emergency service (primary care), to promote patient safety and the safety of healthcare professionals. Methods: A prospective, explanatory, and descriptive case study was applied to a basic emergency service, using ISO 31000 – risk management in organisations, and the healthcare failure mode and effects analyses (HFMEA) support tool. Results: There were identified 57 possible failures associated with 88 different effects, with risk magnitudes classified as severe (1 cases), very severe (18 cases), and intolerable (38 cases). Failures whose effects impact patients were mentioned 2,6 times more than those primarily affecting professionals. Conclusions: The study allowed the identification of different failures in some of its work processes, for which corrective measures were determined to be carried out by the team and the governing entities of the service, to be implemented as soon as possible, ensuring greater safety in its services.
DOI: 10.56226/124
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4412786992