More than 100 attendees, including patient partners, researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, research funders and international experts, gathered at RCSI for a one-day symposium focused on advancing quality improvement and patient safety (QIPS) research.

Hosted by the RCSI Graduate School of Healthcare Management, in partnership with the EQUIPS Research Network and the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), the event centred on priority setting, emerging methodologies and opportunities to strengthen QIPS research at both local and national levels.

The symposium – Current Trends and Future Directions in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Research – opened with a session led by Dr Siobhán McCarthy, Programme Director at RCSI Graduate School of Healthcare Management and EQUIPS Co-Investigator. Participants engaged in a consultation exercise examining how impact, feasibility, stakeholder involvement and sustainability can shape future QIPS research. The session also highlighted ongoing EQUIPS research, outlining existing frameworks that will inform the development of approaches to identifying shared improvement and research priorities.

A second session, chaired by Dr Alexis Amaye, Lecturer at RCSI Graduate School of Healthcare Management, explored equity as a key dimension of quality. MSc and PhD scholars presented research on harm reduction, digital health equity, mental health engagement and safety for older adults. A panel including representatives of the RCSI Health Equity Research Alliance discussed the challenges and opportunities involved in embedding equity across improvement initiatives.

Commenting on the event, Dr Siobhán McCarthy said: “Improving patient safety and the quality of care requires collaboration across disciplines, sectors and countries. This symposium brought together researchers, clinicians, patient partners and policymakers to share insights and identify priorities that can guide future research and improvement efforts.”

An afternoon hybrid session broadened the perspective to global insights on high-quality care and learning systems in the age of digital health. RCSI and ISQua experts working across Ireland, Pakistan, Japan, Jordan, and the United States addressed adverse event reporting, after-action reviews, digital accreditation, primary care technology, sustainability in digital health, and the role of surgical hubs. A panel chaired by Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh examined how digital health can support safety, equity, and sustainability.

Closing the event, Professor Deborah McNamara, RCSI President, reaffirmed RCSI’s institutional commitment to leading evidence-based improvement and to bringing the University’s diverse, multidisciplinary expertise to understanding how improvement happens for the benefit of patients, staff and health systems.