Manama: Patient Safety will be one of seven research work streams to be presented at the 2015 World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) Summit in February in Qatar, organisers have said.
The issues addressed by the Patient Safety Forum will include an exploration of how a systems integration approach can improve patient safety and how health systems can be designed, procured and delivered to enhance patient safety, experience and outcomes. It will also include the human and economic costs of safety failings as well as learning from other high-risk sectors such as aerospace and defence.
“Patient safety is — or should be — one of the fundamental building blocks of any healthcare system,” Professor Peter J Pronovost, Senior Vice-President for Patient Safety and Quality, and Director of the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality at Johns Hopkins Medicine in the United States, said. “However, incidences of avoidable harm remain high throughout the world and healthcare still has much to do to match the safety record of other high-risk industries, such as civil aviation or defence. I am pleased to lead such a distinguished team and feel confident that by collaborating, we can provide solid evidence and new perspectives that will support the efforts of policy makers trying to improve their healthcare system’s safety record and patient experience,” said Pronovost who will chair the Patient Safety Forum.
Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH and Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, said: “In most cases, patient safety failures involve avoidable harm. While raising standards is the responsibility of the entire global healthcare community, it is also a major policy issue. That is why WISH has decided to tackle patient safety this year, and I am delighted that Professor Pronovost has agreed to lead our work in this area.”
The forum will publish an evidence-based report for discussion at the 2015 Summit, a global initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) that will bring together international health experts, heads of state, government ministers, academics, clinicians, policy makers and business leaders to discuss innovative solutions to some of the most pressing global health challenges.
As well as Patient Safety, WISH will publish reports on communicating complex health messages, diabetes, delivering affordable cancer care, dementia, universal health coverage and mental health and well-being in children and young people.
The seven forums will collate and consider the latest evidence in order to produce practical recommendations for health policy makers around the world.
