Patient safety in the healthcare system – the past, the present, the future

Abstract:

Patient safety is, according to the postulates of the World Health Organization, a fundamental principle of health care along with accessibility, continuity of care, efficiency, acceptability and appropriateness. It includes prevention, remediation of damage and the improvement of health care from adverse events during the health care process. All participants that the patient encounters during the journey through the health care system (medical and non-medical staff), including the patient, can participate in the process of a possible adverse event. To emphasize the importance of patient safety, the WHO has developed a number of plans and programs to improve it. In the past few years, there has been more talk about patient safety in primary care, which is the point of entry into the health system and as such is a possible source of error and insecure health care. The emphasis of every health administration must be placed on changes in the health system, which will be key to improving safety at all levels of health care.

Key words:
family medicine; patient safety; safety culture; quality of health care