Consider tactics for patient safety in healthcare services

 

THE safety of patients depends on various preventive measures to minimize the possibility of danger. It is crucial to mitigate traumas and disputes that may arise from interactions between patients’ families and all types of healthcare providers.

Globally, more than three million patients die annually due to hazardous healthcare services. This mortality rate is largely attributed to diagnostic errors, as reported by the World Health Organization. In this context, patient safety involves reducing side effects and unacceptable risks associated with healthcare services.

At this juncture, patient safety processes encompass medication management, blood transfusions, injections, surgical operations, radiation treatment, accident prevention, and the mitigation of their effects, as well as the prevention of hospital-acquired communicable diseases. Both patients and their companions, as well as healthcare staff, should focus on activities that comply with the guidelines established by relevant medical organizations and hospitals, along with preventive measures against unsafe treatments, careless activities and services.

Only when patients feel safe receiving medical treatments can both patients and healthcare providers establish a bilateral trust. However, four out of every 100 patients still die from unsafe healthcare services in lowand middle-income countries. Among the safety measures for patients, the unsafe use of medications for various diseases, in addition to careless services, impacts millions. This issue is a root cause of dangers within healthcare service systems across the world. According to the WHO, global countries incur costs of approximately US$42 billion per year due to treatment errors involving incorrect medications and careless services.

In this regard, errors in medication use often stem from unclear instructions, the use of abbreviations, and inappropriate prescriptions by physicians, all of which can be frequently observed within healthcare systems. Moreover, healthcare providers or patients may miscalculate the dosages of medications or fail to adhere to the contraindications and precautions associated with these medications.

Currently, both communicable and non-communicable diseases are spreading across the globe. As a result, individuals use medications to combat the illnesses they face. To properly take medications, patients need to seek assistance from qualified healthcare providers or family members who understand the efficacy of these medicines.

Patients should avoid taking pills purchased from pharmacies not aligned with a physician’s instructions, neglecting the prescribed schedules for antibiotics, or using medications from pharmacies without guidance. By doing so, patients can evade the adverse effects associated with improper medicines and treatments.

GNLM