WHO Collaborating Centre for Patient Safety Solutions Aide Memoire

Worldwide, the delivery of health care is challenged by a wide range of safety problems. The traditional medical oath— “First do no harm”—is rarely violated intentionally by physi-cians, nurses, or other practitioners, but the fact remains that patients are harmed every day in every country across the globe in the course of receiving health care. The first things that we must do are to acknowledge this disturbing truth; to reject the notion that the status quo is acceptable; and, per-haps most important, to act to correct the problems that are contributing to unsafe care. All patients have a right to effective, safe care at all times. Unintended harm to patients undergoing treatment is not a new phenomenon. The earliest record of this problem dates from the 17th century BC. The response in those days was clearly and solely punitive (for example, cutting off a sur-geon’s hand). Today, the solutions for improving patient safe-ty offer a more constructive approach—one in which success (safer care) is determined by how well caregivers work to-gether as a team, how effectively they communicate with one another and with patients, and how carefully the care deliv-ery processes and supporting systems of care are designed. With the growing recognition of safety problems in health care, it is now time to create and disseminate “Solutions ” for patient safety. Fortunately, political leaders in some countries are framing their arguments for reforming health care in terms of higher quality and the elimination or correction of practices that are known to be unsafe or wasteful. Similarly, patients and their families are becoming increasingly skilled in accessing information to make personal health care decisions about treatments and their choice of providers, and demanding saf-er care as well. Health-care practitioners are also becoming more proficient at incorporating evidence-based knowledge into their clinical decision-making practices