Patient Safety Leaders Discuss Solutions for Preventable Deaths

On the same day the World Health Organization (WHO)designated World Patient Safety Day, The Patient Safety Movement Foundation’s(PSMF) Midyear Planning Meeting (MYPM) brought together more than a hundredpatient safety stakeholders from across seven countries for intimatediscussions about how to achieve ZERO preventable deaths in hospitals. Morethan 200,000 people die due to medical errors in the US each year, and more the4.8 million worldwide.

During this important meeting, administrators, clinicians,patient safety advocates, family members and other patient safety leaders fromacross the healthcare ecosystem had an opportunity to share experiences andexpertise to help develop solutions to eliminate preventable patient deaths.

The meeting began with a special video message from Dr.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO, thanking those whohave made a commitment to patient safety and challenging others to make thesame commitment to support the WHO in making patient safety a global priority.

“No one should be harmed when seeking healthcare,” said JoeKiani, PSMF founder. “Even one preventable death is one too many. World PatientSafety Day activates every stakeholder across the healthcare ecosystem to‘Speak up for patient safety.’ I challenge you to join us and make plans toachieve ZERO.”

During the day, general sessions demonstrated to those inattendance how individuals and organizations have changed policies andprocesses to eliminate preventable patient deaths.

Breakout sessions focused on solutions for: medication safety/opioid safety, hand-off communications, neonatal airway safety, early detection and treatment of sepsis, systemic prevention and resuscitation of in-hospital cardiac arrest, mother/baby falls, embolic events, person and family engagement and hand hygiene, the patient safety curriculum, and post-operative delirium in older adults.

“The numbers of patients that die each year from preventablehospital errors is just not acceptable, and we know how to lower them,” saidDavid Mayer, PSMF CEO. “Our 34 free Actionable Patient Safety Solutions (APSS)provide specific processes and guidance to help hospitals prevent medical harm.We know how to reduce the number of preventable deaths on our way toeliminating them entirely.”