Fifth Qatar Patient Safety Week, organised by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), highlighted the most important challenges that can hinder talking about patient safety with patients, their families and healthcare practitioners, with suggestions of strategies, models and initiatives that can improve speaking behaviour for patients.
During the Patient Safety Week, the concept of patient safety and quality in the face of emergencies and adversity was explored as a prerequisite for achieving universal health coverage. The impact of this on the provision of health services and efforts at the regional and international levels, in addition to discussing the practice of medicine in the context of Qatari law, identifying shortcomings and opportunities for improvement to achieve patient safety and the health workforce.
It also discussed local programmes to encourage healthcare personnel and patients to speak up for patient safety and identified opportunities for participatory and reciprocal learning, especially in dealing with challenges.
The ministry concluded the safety week, which was held from September 15 to 21 under the slogan "Speak Up for Patient Safety" in conjunction with the first World Patient Safety Day that was approved by the World Health Organisation on September 17, with the aim of intensifying efforts and highlighting the importance of patient safety as a global priority.
The event included a number of activities and events in a number of hospitals and health centres, to promote awareness about the importance of quality of health care provided to patients and make them safer. The MoPH organised a conference attended by about 1,000 health practitioners from various health institutions in Qatar, including 34 experts from Qatar and abroad. The events included 11 lectures and panel discussions with the participation of patients and their representatives.
Healthcare providers were also surveyed about patients' experiences through a dedicated questionnaire, in addition to public and healthcare providers on informed consent. The ministry has developed its own national policy to be implemented by all health institutions and health care providers, and the results of these questionnaires will be made public soon.
A scientific posters competition was launched during the conference in which 135 posters were evaluated by the health care quality and patient safety management team at the ministry. Organizing an exhibition in which many institutions and health care facilities participated.
The Fifth Qatar Patient Safety Week was supported by health and educational institutions such as Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute, Sidra Medicine, Qatar Red Crescent Society, World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), Aspetar and Aster Hospital, Al Ahli Hospital, Doha Clinic Hospital, and Al Fazaa volunteer centre.
Qatar Patient Safety Week is an annual event organized by the Ministry of Public Health at the national level as an initiative and an educational and awareness campaign aimed at spreading the concept of patient safety among the workforce in health care institutions and their users and keeping up with the international developments in this field. (QNA)
