World Patient Safety Day on 17 September 2023 emphasised the vital role of patient and family engagement in enhancing health care safety. This dedicated day calls on all healthcare leaders, professionals, and the general public to work together for safer healthcare.
Physiopedia joins the international community in observing World Patient Safety Day, an initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO). This year, the focus is “engaging patients for patient safety. Everyone is encouraged to “Elevate the voice of patients”.
Why is this important?
Active engagement of patients and families is not just a moral duty but an absolute necessity. According to the WHO, meaningful patient engagement can lead to a 15% decrease in patient harm, saving lives and financial resources.
What is Physiopedia doing?
Physiopedia is an organisation committed to rehabilitation and global health by providing free, accessible rehabilitation knowledge to everyone, no matter where they live. We provide a range of articles on patient safety and engagement aimed at enhancing the understanding, communication and skills of professionals in the field of rehabilitation.
What is the impact?
Physiopedia enables better engagement between rehabilitation professionals and patients through improved knowledge and best practices. This increased engagement contributes to safer and more effective healthcare systems.
What can you do?
Patients should be active participants at all stages of health care. This includes everything from informed consent to shared decision-making, and from treatment to policy planning. Each contribution makes a difference in achieving a safer healthcare system for everyone.
As a follow up to World Patient Safety Day, we encourage you to explore Physiopedia’s collection of resources on patient safety and engagement. Together, we can contribute to enhancing the safety of global healthcare systems.