About META network

The aim of the META network is to promote multidisciplinary research in patient safety. The network is funded by the UK's Medical Research Council (MRC),  the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The Network commences on the 5th of January 2004 and has funding for two years.

The Network operates through multi-disciplinary workshops and has set itself the following objectives:

• to develop the research agenda for medication error and technologies analysis
• to provide support for individuals to meet and jointly develop high quality research programmes
• to facilitate high quality research funding applications to relevant funding bodies
• to build up the research capacity in medication error and technologies analysis
• to establish the network as a self-sufficient body

People and Institutions Involved:

Co-ordinating Centre:    School of Pharmacy University of London 29-39 Brunswick Square London WC1N 1AX United Kingdom www.ulsop.ac.uk

Other Institutions:    London School of Economics www.lse.ac.uk   University of Nottingham www.nottingham.ac.uk   Auburn University www.auburn.edu   Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston www.brighamandwomens.org   Brunel University www.brunel.ac.uk   Great Ormond Street Hospital www.ich.ucl.ac.uk   Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust www.hhnt.org   Imperial College www.ic.ac.uk   Picker Institute Europe www.pickereurope.org   University College London www.ucl.ac.uk

The network members have been chosen to represent a wide range of perspectives and experiences, including experts in medical sciences, social science and engineering. The network brings together those experienced in medical error and those with expertise in other cognate fields; it encompasses positivist, interpretive and critical research approaches, as well as varied experience of development and assessment of technologies in a range of health care settings as well as in other sectors.

In time we hope to draw in new members too, for example specialists in process automation and technology design and leading UK-based technology suppliers, as well as selected participants from other European countries. The network also liases closely with those involved in the setting of policy and in the delivery of patient safety across the NHS, in particular the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA).

Our Agenda

The limited and conflicting evidence, and the contrasting opinions about the ability of ICT to improve patient safety, provides the background motivation for this network. We have chosen to focus on medication error in particular since it is the commonest error, it is an area in which there is the largest literature on causation, measurement and incidence, and it is an area in which there is already a proliferation of adoption of information and communication technology (ICT). The increasing recognition of the importance of medication related errors, and the policy questions that have followed, make the work of the network particularly relevant and timely. We also hope that the insights and outputs from the network will be of use in informing other areas that seek to apply ICT's to medical and surgical error.