Patient Safety is a Right

WHO Launches First-Ever Patient Safety Rights Charter

The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the first-ever Patient Safety Rights Charter. Dr Neelam Dhingra discussed the need for the Patient Safety Rights Charter saying:

Everyone, everywhere, has the right to safety as a patient. The launch of the Charter is a tangible step forward in achieving a safer, more equitable world. The charter will be a key resource in assisting countries in integrating essential concepts such as patient and family engagement, equity, dignity, and access to information into their health care systems. Countries and all stakeholders are invited to adopt, disseminate and implement the Patient Safety Rights Charter.

Patient Safety Rights CharterWhy the Patient Safety Rights Charter is Needed

The WHO cites these facts in support of the need for the Patient Safety Rights Charter:

  • Around 1 in every 10 patients is harmed in health care and more than 3 million deaths occur annually due to unsafe care. In low-to-middle income countries, as many as 4 in 100 people die from unsafe care.
  • Above 50% of harm (1 in every 20 patients) is preventable; half of this harm is attributed to medications.
  • Some estimates suggest that as many as 4 in 10 patients are harmed in primary and ambulatory settings, while up to 80% (23.6–85%) of this harm can be avoided.
  • Common adverse events that may result in avoidable patient harm are medication errors, unsafe surgical procedures, health care-associated infections, diagnostic errors, patient falls, pressure ulcers, patient misidentification, unsafe blood transfusion and venous thromboembolism.
  • Patient harm potentially reduces global economic growth by 0.7% a year. On a global scale, the indirect cost of harm amounts to trillions of US dollars each year.
  • Investment in reducing patient harm can lead to significant financial savings, and more importantly better patient outcomes. An example of a good return on investment is patient engagement, which, if done well, can reduce the burden of harm by up to 15%

3 Ways You Can Improve Patient Safety?

  1. Join the Campaign to Establish a National Patient Safety Board.
  2. Volunteer with the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety.
  3. Donate to improve patient safety.

 

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