- While Hippocrates, the “father of medicine”, lived in the early 5th century B.C., the famous oath that bears his name emerged a century later. No one knows who first penned it. This oath ethically binds all the practitioners of modern medicine.
- One component of this oath is “I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice”
- The discipline of patient safety is the coordinated efforts to prevent harm to patients, during the process of health care itself.
- It is generally agreed upon that the meaning of patient safety is…“Please do no harm”
- Improving Patient Safety means, reducing patient harm.
- Though the concept of doing no harm to the patient was embedded in the Hippocratic Oath
- it self , no much concern was shown by the hospitals, though Hospitals were founded to give care to those who need it and to keep patients safe is their moral duty .
- The first effective initiative in this regard was started by World Health Alliance (WHA) in Jan 2002
- In May 2002 – resolution adopted by 55th World Health Assembly
- In May 2004 – WHA support establishing World Alliance for Patient Safety
- The principles of patient safety were adopted from the air safety of Aviation industries.
- Further with the leadership of WHO, the Patient safety concern became a major issue by all nations
- And various safety measures are initiated by hospitals to reduce harm to the patient by implementing the WHO guidelines.
In the presentation, a summary of initiatives to be taken by hospitals in different areas for patient safety have been described for the knowledge, practices and implementation of patient safety initiative by hospital managers/Administrators.
