Over the years, the healthcare industry across the country has undergone a significant shift marked by advances in infrastructure, technology, and accessibility. While the country strives to provide quality healthcare to its masses, it needs to address issues that are unique here. Patient safety is one such issue that defines high-quality healthcare.

It is estimated that more than 3 million people die each year as a result of unsafe care with low- to middle-income nations accounting for up to 4 in every 100 deaths. Unfortunately, it is possible to prevent more than half of that harm to patients.

To know more and understand the issue at hand better, we speak with Dr Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director of Aakash Healthcare.

Patient safety is referred to as the absence of preventable harm along with the reduction of risk of unnecessary harm to a patient to an acceptable minimum. With a crucial role in healthcare, patient safety has a direct effect on patients’ well-being and trust. Healthcare organisations across the world have a primary goal to provide a safe environment for patients.

"Patient safety skills are one of the primary strategies for ensuring safe practice. Healthcare professionals play a significant role when it comes to reducing risks for patients. They need to have the necessary skills to ensure patient safety at all times in their regular activities," Dr Chaudhry says.

Moreover, he adds, they should also be able to spot patient safety events, conduct patient safety incident analysis utilising procedures, collaborate in a team, learn from mistakes, and suggest actions and recommendations for preventing patient safety incidents.

"Nurses have a long history of improving the quality of health care and patient safety, notably via problem-solving and practice improvement abilities. For example, nurses must exercise their professional judgement while providing any drug, and employ their expertise in any given circumstance to act in the best interests of the patient," Dr Chaudhry says.

A study found that healthcare professionals with greater experience in their core specialisation were more effective at mistake analysis, minimising dangers to patient safety, and using decision support technologies.On the other hand, individuals who had no knowledge regarding patient safety in their continuing education showed inferior abilities in terms of mistake analysis and preventing dangers to patient safety.

"A safe healthcare system is one that has an unwavering commitment to minimising harm through a well-structured framework. This framework involves critical components, such as encouraging leadership commitment to prioritise safety, ensuring the safety of clinical procedures, compliance with standards, and child safety among others," Dr Chaudhry says.

Patient safety, he says, is the cornerstone of quality healthcare, and it requires continuous effort and commitment from all stakeholders. "Healthcare professionals play a vital role in preventing harm through their skills, vigilance, and collaboration. A strong system approach, supported by leadership and adherence to safety standards, ensures a safer environment for patients," he adds.

By prioritising education, encouraging teamwork, and learning from mistakes, we can significantly reduce preventable risks. Together, we can create a culture where patient safety is not just a goal but a shared responsibility, ensuring trust and better outcomes for everyone.

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