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Patient safety is defined as freedom from accidental
injury (of any kind) while receiving medical care. Medical errors can occur
anywhere, hospitals, clinics, pharmacies or even the patient's home. For example,
a patient supposed to be on a salt free diet may accidentally be given a routine
diet. Or, patient may end up buying wrong medicines due to doctor's illegible
handwriting.
In 1999, an American study came to the conclusion that more people die from
medical errors than those from auto accidents, breast cancer or AIDS. There
are no standards by which patient safety can be measured. In India, awareness
levels for patient safety measures are dismally low. There is an urgent need
to wake up to this aspect of healthcare that has assumed Herculean proportions in
the last few years. It is never too late!
Pointers towards improved patient safety measures:
- Make patient safety a awareness priority amongst healthcare
personnel and patients
- Create a healthcare culture of safety
- Initiate routine safety assessments
- Implement vigorously known safety practices
- Incorporate patient safety into all healthcare professional
training
- Deal promptly with professional misconduct leading to medical
errors
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