Safety Culture for Patient Safety

Ms. BANDANA MOKTAN CNE Coordinator & Quality Coordinator (Nursing) Nursing Department, Central Refer

World Patient Safety Day, one of WHO’s global public health days, is observed annually on 17^th September, to promote global health and safety. It is firmly grounded in the fundamental principle of medicine – “first do no harm”. Each year, a new theme is selected for World Patient Safety Day to highlight a priority patient safety area needing urgent and concerted action.

“Improving diagnosis for patient safety” has been selected as the theme for World Patient Safety Day 2024, recognising the critical need for timely and correct diagnosis to ensure safety of the patient.

Through the slogan “Get it right, make it safe!”, WHO calls for concerted efforts to significantly reduce diagnostic errors through multifaceted interventions rooted in systems thinking, human factors and active engagement of patients, their families, health workers and health care leaders. These interventions include but are not limited to ascertaining complete patient history, undertaking thorough clinical examination, improving access to diagnostic tests, implementing methods to measure and learn from diagnostic errors, and adopting technology-based solutions.

Patient safety is the cornerstone of quality healthcare. Ensuring the safety of patients should be of utmost importance and a priority in any healthcare facility. “The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do sick the no harm” Quotes Ms. Florence Nightingale the founder of Modern Nursing in her notes on Hospitals (1863). In today’s fast-paced and complex healthcare environment, it is more important than ever to understand patient safety and foster a culture of patient safety across the healthcare facility.  It is imperative that the patient safety issues be addressed diligently. It also becomes important to consider the perspective of patient and their expectations regarding their safety.

A culture of patient-cantered care underpins the foundation of error prevention. It is of essential importance to place patients at the heart of healthcare services. A culture of safety refers to the collective commitment by leadership, managers and healthcare professionals and healthcare workers to emphasize safety of patients at every touch points. It is built on trust, transparency and open communication, fostering an environment where staff feel comfortable reporting errors and near misses, without fear of blame or punishment.  It is about creating an environment where patient safety is deeply ingrained in every activity, every decision and every process. A robust mechanism of compliance and surveillance to safety practices supports the culture of patient safety. Transparency and communication in simple language and engaging the patient and family is of utmost importance in creating a culture of patient safety.  Moreover, a culture of safety also includes a commitment to adequate staff training, ensuring that all healthcare professionals have the skills and knowledge necessary to provide safe, quality care. It also involves the consistent application of evidence-based practices and protocols, such as those related to hand hygiene, infection control and medication safety while incorporating International Patient Safety Goals.  Technology underscores the transformative role of digital tools in enhancing healthcare outcomes and patient safety.

Central Referral Hospital (CRH) strive to foster a safety culture through its multidisciplinary team approach and quality management system. Standardizing processes, tracking compliance through audits and mock drills, facilitating training to enhance the competency level of staff.  Technology advancement initiatives like Hospital Information System / Laboratory Integrated System / Picture Archiving & Communication System and quality management software enables efficiency in processes for better patient experience. The robust mechanism of capturing the turnaround time for various processes and patient feedback  addresses patient satisfaction.

In essence, cultivating a culture of safety is about creating an environment where safety is deeply embedded in every structure of the organization. It’s about recognizing that patient safety is the cornerstone of quality care and making it a core goal that drives every decision and action within the organization.