In October 2004, WHO launched the World Alliance for Patient Safety in response to a World Health Assembly Resolution (2002) urging WHO and Member States to pay the closest possible attention to the problem of patient safety. The Alliance raises awareness and political commitment to improve the safety of care and facilitates the development of patient safety policy and practice in all WHO Member States.
The Alliance, chaired by Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer of the United Kingdom, addresses 10 major action areas:
- Safety Solutions will translate knowledge into practical solutions and disseminate these solutions internationally.
- The Global Patient Safety Challenge will galvanize global commitment and action on a patient safety topic, which addresses a significant area of risk for all countries. In 2005-2006, the Global Patient Safety Challenge is focusing on health care-associated infection with the theme Clean Care is Safer Care. For 2007-2008, the Global Patient Safety Challenge will focus on the topic of safer surgery with the theme Safe Surgery Saves Lives.
- Patients for Patient Safety will ensure that the voice of patients is at the core of the patient safety movement worldwide.
- Reporting and learning will promote valid reporting, analytical and investigative tools and approaches that identify sources and causes of risks in ways that promote learning and preventative action.
- Taxonomy for Patient Safety will develop an internationally acceptable system for classifying patient safety information to promote more effective international learning.
- Research for patient safety will facilitate an international research agenda which supports the safer health care in all WHO member states.
- Safety in Action will spread best practices for implementation of changes in organizational, team and clinical practices to improve patient safety.
- Technology and patient safety will focus on the opportunities to harness new technologies to improve patient safety.
- Care of acutely ill patients will identify key patient safety priorities for action in the care of seriously ill patients.
- Patient safety knowledge at your fingertips will work with Member States and partners to gather and share knowledge on patient safety developments globally in the form of a global report.
Further information on the work of the Alliance is available at www.who.int/patientsafety .
Solutions for Patient Safety
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Solutions for patient safety are interventions and actions that prevent patient safety problems recurring and thus reduce risk to patients. The Alliance and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Patient Safety Solutions is promoting existing interventions and coordinating activity internationally to ensure that new solutions are delivered. |