ABSTRACT
Objective:
to identify potential risks to patient safety during the transfer of pre-hospital care.
Method:
a descriptive-exploratory study, with a qualitative approach. Data collection occurred between April and June 2018, with non-participant observation and semi-structured interview, in a Mobile Emergency Care Service in the Southern Brazil. Twenty-eight professionals were interviewed, including nursing technicians/auxiliaries, nurses and physicians, and 135 hours of care were observed. The data were submitted to thematic analysis.
Results:
two interrelated categories emerged a) Stakeholders in patient and team safety; and b) The (inter) personal/professional dimension of the transfer of care. The study's findings showed that, in addition to the inherent vulnerabilities to traffic and urban violence, patients are exposed to circumstances that include potential risks related to falling on stretchers, medication errors and clinical judgment. The vertical communication by hierarchies, influenced by personal and emotional factors of each professional, generated implications for the continuity of care.
Conclusion:
given the potential risks to patient safety at the time of transfers of pre-hospital care, one should invest in effective communication strategies, as well as in forms of interpersonal relationships and links between services in the emergency network.
DESCRIPTORS:
Emergency medical services; Pre-hospital emergency care; Patient safety; Transitional care; Patient transfer; Communication barriers