Patient Safety Rights Charter

• 23 Apr 2024

Source: WHO

Why in News?

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a first-ever Patient Safety Rights Charter at the Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety.

• It is the first Charter to outline patients’ rights in the context of safety.
• It will help governments and hospitals in formulating the legislation, policies and guidelines needed to ensure patient safety.

What are the Key Features of the Patient Safety Rights Charter?

• The charter outlines the core rights of all patients in the context of the safety of health care and seeks to assist governments and other stakeholders to ensure that the voices of patients are heard and their right to safe health care is protected.
• The Charter covers 10 patient safety rights crucial to mitigate risks and prevent unintentional harm, which includes the
  • Timely, effective and appropriate care
  • Safe health care processes and practices
  • Qualified and competent health workers
  • Safe medical products and their safe and rational use
  • Safe and secure health care facilities
  • Dignity, respect, non-discrimination, privacy and confidentiality
  • Information, education and supported decision making Access medical records
  • To be heard and fair resolution
  • Patient and family engagement.

What is Patient Safety?

• About:
  • Patient safety encompasses efforts to prevent unintended harm during healthcare provision, a critical aspect of global healthcare.
• Factors Contributing to Patient Harm:
  • Identified Sources of Harm: Medication errors, surgical errors, healthcare-associated infections, sepsis, diagnostic errors, and patient falls as frequent causes of patient harm.
  • Varied Factors: Patient harm arises from system and organisational failures, technological limitations, human factors, and patient-related circumstances, illustrating the multi-dimensional nature of patient safety incidents.

What is the Need of Patient Safety Charter?

• Ensuring Safety of Patients:
  • Approximately 1 in 10 patients encounter harm during healthcare procedures, resulting in over 3 million annual deaths attributed to unsafe care, as reported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
  • According to the OECD, investing in patient safety positively impacts health outcomes, reduces costs related to patient harm, improves system efficiency, and helps in reassuring communities and restoring their trust in health care systems.
• Preventing Avoidable Harm:
  • The majority of patient harm is avoidable, underscoring the vital role of engaging patients, families, and caregivers in minimising harm.
  • Patient harm often results from poorly designed healthcare systems, not isolated incidents.
• Implementation of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030:
  • A 2023 survey of WHO Member States revealed gaps in implementing the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030, emphasising the need for patient representation and addressing income-based disparities in implementation.
  • Interim results of the survey showed only 13% of responding countries have a patient representative on the governing board or an equivalent mechanism in the majority of their hospitals.
• Targeting SDG:
  • Patient safety is a critical global priority and essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-3: "Good Health and well-being".

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Mains:

Q. Critically examine the role of WHO in providing global health security during the Covid-19 pandemic. (2020)