IAPO highlights advances in patient engagement in patient safety at World Health Assembly

Citation

(2007), "IAPO highlights advances in patient engagement in patient safety at World Health Assembly", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 20 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2007.06220gab.003

IAPO highlights advances in patient engagement in patient safety at World Health Assembly

Europe, Middle East and Africa

IAPO highlights advances in patient engagement in patient safety at World Health Assembly

Keywords: Patient safety, Leadership, Collaboration

The International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) and Save the Children UK, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) World Alliance for Patient Safety, convened an Informal Forum on Patient Safety at the 60th World Health Assembly. The forum informed civil society organizations of the patient safety agenda and highlighted some positive contributions of civil society to patient safety initiatives.

Presentations were given by representatives from Save the Children, UK, the World Health Professions Alliance, the World Alliance for Patient Safety, Alzheimer’s Pakistan and IAPO.

Important advances in patient engagement in patient safety were presented. For example, since the establishment of the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety (the Alliance) in 2004, Patients for Patient Safety – the patient involvement strand of the Alliance – has trained over 100 patient advocates who are taking an active role in patient safety on international, regional and national levels. National developments include: a patient led patient safety organization in Poland that is raising awareness and working with the healthcare system and a multi-stakeholder Pakistan Patient Safety Initiative. Both these initiatives were developed by patient advocates trained by Patients for Patient Safety.

The forum concluded that the serious situation of patient safety will not be addressed by policy makers and health professionals alone and there is a practical and moral reason for civil society involvement to reduce the incidence of avoidable harm to patients in the future. Patients and patients’ organizations can contribute at every stage; from reporting individual patient safety incidents to working in collaboration to develop solutions that can be integrated into patient safety initiatives around the world. Mr Hussain Jafri, Patients for Patient Safety Champion; Secretary General, Alzheimer’s Pakistan; and IAPO Board Member commented that “to make this possible we need to educate patients. We need recognition as an essential partner, advice on where to start and how to contribute our knowledge and efforts, and to develop confidence to be involved”.

We now have a real opportunity to maximize the potential of patient involvement in patient safety. IAPO has committed to continue to advocate for patient engagement in patient safety and to be involved in training patient advocates to partner with the healthcare system. IAPO’s 3rd Global Patients Congress, to be held 20-22 February 2008 in Budapest, Hungary will provide focused training on patient safety issues to patient advocates and build on the understanding and commitment of all stakeholders (policy makers, healthcare professionals and providers) to improve the quality and safety of care. This will complement the work of Patients for Patient Safety.

IAPO commends WHO on its leadership in patient safety through the development of the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety and other initiatives. IAPO is committed to continue working in productive collaborative partnerships with WHO and other stakeholders to raise awareness of patient safety issues, and to encourage and enable patients to connect with healthcare systems in a coordinated, powerful and highly effective way to improve safety for all.

For further information www.patientsorganizations.org/