Patient quality and safety

Abstract

International health policy on patient quality and safety emerges as a need of the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote the issue as a fundamental principle for all health systems. That is why in 2002, at the 55th World Health Assembly, WHO urged Member States to pay greater attention to the problem and strengthen systems that improve patient safety. In 2004 the World Alliance for Patient Safety was created to coordinate, disseminate, and accelerate improvements worldwide. In 2007, WHO presented nine measures to reduce damage related to healthcare consistent with international goals of the Joint Commission International (JCI), related to look-alike/sound-alike drugs; patient identification; communication during patient transfer; the performance of the right procedure at the right place in the body; control of concentrated solutions of electrolytes; ensuring the accuracy of medication in care transitions; avoiding connection errors in catheters and tubes; single use of injection devices; and improved hand hygiene to prevent healthcare-associated infections.