The World Health Assembly established World Patient Safety Day in 2019, and it is observed every September 17. This day is grounded in the principle of “first, do no harm,” a standard that healthcare institutions and everyone involved in the field are expected to uphold.
The World Health Organization announced that this year’s theme for 2023 is “Engaging patients for patient safety,” reflecting the significant progress shown when patients, along with their families, become active members of the healthcare team.
As part of this effort, ABC Medical Center brings patient safety into every area of care, with the ultimate goal not only of providing medical treatment, but also of offering safety, warmth, and trust throughout a person’s time with us, whether that’s just a few minutes or several days.
Some of the patient safety measures ABC Medical Center has in place include:
- Emergency codes: ABC Medical Center has various emergency codes in place, designed to protect people and respond quickly, whether for medical emergencies or other potential incidents.
- Effective communication: this ensures healthcare staff stay in close contact with patients and their families, keeping them informed about the patient’s condition, as well as procedures that have been performed or are about to take place.
- Patient assessment: upon admission, a patient’s condition is assessed by both doctors and nurses to gather all necessary information, including physical condition, allergies, and medical history.
- Pharmacovigilance: since medications can cause adverse reactions in some people, healthcare specialists closely monitor patients for any potential effects.
- Patient identification: throughout a patient’s stay at the medical center, their identity is continuously verified to ensure they receive the correct, appropriate care at every step.
- Fall prevention: the “Blue Circle” program helps identify patients at high risk of falling, whether due to their own condition, certain medications, or other factors, with the goal of preventing this type of incident.
- ID wristband: upon admission, every patient is given a wristband to ensure they’re correctly identified before any procedure or medication administration. This wristband also allows staff to track pediatric patients’ location throughout the facility at all times.
