WHO Announces Patient Safety Center

In a further move to eliminate medical errors worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO, Geneva, Switzerland) has designated the U.S. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and Joint Commission International (Oakbrook Terrace, IL, USA) as the world's first WHO collaborating center dedicated solely to patient safety.

The collaboration will focus worldwide attention on patient safety and best practices that can reduce safety risks to patients and coordinate international efforts to spread these solutions as broadly as possible. This will be accomplished by collaborating internationally with ministries of health, patient safety experts, national agencies on patient safety, healthcare professional associations, and consumer organizations.

"Together, we can measurably strengthen and improve patient safety worldwide by spreading proven practices without regard to borders or other barriers that frequently exist in the international area,” said Dennis S. O'Leary, M.D., president, Joint Commission. "This partnership should truly make a difference in improving the safety and, thereby, the quality of healthcare for people throughout the world.”

In 2004, WHO launched the World Alliance for Patient Safety, which developed a plan covering six major action areas. The Global Patient Safety Challenge focuses on health-associated infection in 2005-2006 with the slogan "Clean care is safer care.” Patients for Patient Safety mobilizes patients to become involved in safety efforts. Taxonomy for Patient Safety develops data standards for collecting, coding, and classifying adverse events and near misses. Research for Patient Safety improves tools and methods in developing countries and defines a global patient safety research agenda. Solutions for Patient Safety spread proven interventions worldwide. Reporting and Learning generates tools and guidance for developing patient safety reporting systems.




Related Links:
WHO
Joint Commission