World Health Organization And Its Partners Call For Intensified Research To Improve Patient Safety

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 18 Sep 2007 - 16:00 PDT

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Adverse events in health care and medical errors harm millions of patients worldwide each year. This risk can be reduced by studying instances of adverse events and using this evidence to improve the delivery of health care. Patient safety research is central in every aspect of patient care and should be encouraged globally, delegates at a conference in Porto, Portugal, will hear.

The World Health Organization (WHO) World Alliance for Patient Safety, University College London (UCL) and the UK's Faculty of Public Health (FPH) are hosting the first ever pan-European conference dedicated to patient safety research.

Patient Safety Research - Shaping The European Agenda will facilitate greater collaboration between 400 academics, policy makers and funding institutions, with the aim of agreeing priorities for patient safety research in developed and developing countries.

The conference is supported by the European Commission Sixth Framework Programme for Research and the Portuguese Ministry of Health during Portugal's Presidency of the European Union.

As well as facilitating research developments, the event will enable policy makers to understand, and utilise, patient safety research. Improving healthcare systems based on this data may reduce patient safety risk and the associated impact on patients, families and healthcare providers.

"Collaboration required to produce quality research that improves patient care"

Mark McCarthy, Professor of Public Health and Honorary Consultant in public health medicine at University College London, says, "Patient safety is a growing and exciting area of research. We want to encourage European and global collaboration to ensure that the right kind of research happens and that evidence is shared. This international conference represents a huge first step in establishing the key priorities for the successful implementation of research programmes in Europe and beyond."
He adds, "Medical and public health practice will only adapt according to the effectiveness of interventions. It is critical that high quality research is conducted to establish why and how medical errors occur and that the evidence is then used in policy development. This is the only sensible way to introduce changes in medical practice that will improve clinical care."

"Innovative research to be translated into life saving actions"

Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for England, who chairs the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety, reinforces the importance of patient safety research, "Patient safety research is an invaluable resource for ensuring that health care reduces patient suffering and does not contribute to it. It is vital that research findings are translated into tangible actions that can actually save lives."

"Health improvements through shared learning, not blame"

Professor Alan Maryon Davis, President of the FPH and Director of Public Health, indicates that we all have a role to play in facilitating patient safety research, "Today's blame culture threatens public health because patients blame healthcare systems and doctors blame policy makers, meaning people are reluctant to report medical errors. By working collectively with many healthcare providers, and patients themselves, in a culture of shared learning rather than blame, patient safety researchers can help to identify and address these medical errors. We need to understand what is happening today in order to improve patient safety in the future."

Conference programme

Conference attendees will hear speeches from David Bates, Leader of the Patient Safety Research programme of the World Alliance for Patient Safety and renowned world expert in the field of patient safety, as well as Sir Liam Donaldson, Chair of the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety and Chief Medical Officer for England.

Plenary sessions will address research approaches to patient safety, explore research networks, and will enable the European patient safety research community to move this important agenda forward.

Workshops will focus on research and policy issues. Research themes will include; the value of national reporting systems, understanding human action in preventing or causing adverse events, the role of the patient, controlling hospital infections, and effective methods to ensure accurate medication. WHO-lead policy workshops will focus on various elements of research commissioning including; building infrastructures and capacity, and developing partnerships.

To view the latest conference programme and identify specific topics of interest, please visit: http://www.patientsafetyresearch.org

Daily updates are available to view on this website during the conference.

A World Health Organization press release in relation to this event will be issued separately.

References

1. Patient Safety, The Public Health Portal of the European Union, click here (last accessed August 2007).

http://www.who.int/