Patient Safety
Opinion Poll on Safety and Quality in Healthcare published
The results of a new opinion poll published on the 8 July 2010 show that over 95% of people want clear information about their healthcare around treatment options, costs and care planning.
The Health Information and Quality Authority carried out the poll ahead of starting its consultation on the Draft National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare which are due to be published in the coming weeks. Following the consultation process and when the Standards are completed and approved by Government, they will apply across all health sectors and will be highly significant in driving quality and safety for people using our health services.
Jon Billings, Director of Healthcare Quality and Safety with the Authority, said: “It’s vital to hear directly from the public and those who use services on what matters most to them in terms of quality and safety. This opinion poll will inform the development of the Standards as part of the wider public consultation. The results are very clear – people want information, clear accountability and quality in services and want to be supported in taking an active part in their own healthcare.”
99% of people said that they wanted to be informed if something went wrong in treatment and that providers should take steps to prevent mistakes and ensure learning takes place across the system to improve healthcare quality.
Despite the fact that the majority of people (95%) felt it important that senior staff take responsibility for the quality and safety of services, the majority (86%) said they did not feel this was currently the case.
Jon Billings added, “People clearly expressed the need for more openness in service provision. Some people reported experiencing challenges in making complaints and felt that further support and information in this area is needed.
Driving a Culture of Safety
Central to the work of the Health Information and Quality Authority is the safety of patients and users of our health and social care services.
There is now an increased awareness of patient safety by both the public and healthcare providers not only in Ireland, but across the globe. While it is recognised that most patients receive good quality care, a percentage of patients experience errors during their care and treatment.
International research in countries such as the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark and New Zealand has shown that between 7.5% and 12.9% of patients admitted to the health services will experience an adverse event or patient safety incident. This is in large part due to the complex nature of health care.
Recognising that adverse patient events can and do occur, the Health Information and Quality Authority is committed to developing a supportive culture for supporting patients, families and clinicians when things go wrong. A culture of blame will not inspire a more open and transparent relationship between patients and their families neither will it encourage a culture of learning from such events.
The goal of the Authority is to develop a culture of safety through learning and continuous improvement so we all get the quality and safe health and social care services we deserve.
World Alliance for Patient Safety
The creation of the World Alliance for Patient Safety is a significant step in the journey to improve the safety of health care in all World Health Organisation (WHO) member countries.
The Alliance is an international collaboration driving action on patient safety between countries, WHO technical experts, patients and consumers, professionals and industry groups.
The Health Information and Quality Authority has joined forces with the World Health Organisation's World Alliance for Patient Safety to undertake a major collaborative project on patient safety. The project will involve patients, family members and clinicians. Together we will -
- Identify the best and current Irish and international practice for communicating with and supporting patients, their families and clinicians in the aftermath of a patient safety incident.
- Determine the outcomes that patients, families, clinicians and relevant key stakeholders desire in the aftermath of a patient safety incident.
- Develop an International Consensus Guidance that will identify best practice for communicating with and supporting patients, their families and clinicians in the aftermath of a patient safety incident in order to facilitate more responsive, positive outcomes for all parties.
This initiative will provide the opportunity to learn from and inform national and international patient safety developments and will work towards establishing an open environment between patients, their families and health professionals in the event of a patient safety event.
If you would like to become involved in World Alliance for Patient Safety project please contact:
Hilary Coates
Head of Safety and Learning
Health Information and Quality Authority.
George's Court,
George's Lane,
Dublin 7.
Phone: + 353 1 8147431
Email: patientsafety@hiqa.ie