World Patient Safety Day

Overview

The World Health Organization (WHO) selected “Improving diagnosis for patient safety” with the slogan “Get it right, make it safe!”, as the theme for World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) 2024. This theme highlights the critical importance of correct and timely diagnosis in ensuring patient safety and improving health outcomes.

Celebrate World Patient Safety Day

Join the Commission in celebrating patient voices by raising awareness of World Patient Safety Day. You can also access print and digital resources from the World Health Organization's World Patient Safety Day website.

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Overview

Recognising the vital role that patients, families and carers play in advancing safe care, the World Health Organization (WHO) selected “Engaging patients for patient safety” as the theme for World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) 2023.

Through the slogan “Elevate the voice of patients” the WHO is asking all stakeholders to take action to ensure that patients engage in policy formulation, are represented in governance structures, are engaged in co-designing safety strategies, and are active partners in their care.

Partnering with Consumers: A guide for consumers

Strong partnerships with consumers are essential for safe and high-quality health care. All health services need to partner with consumers under the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.

By working together, consumers and health service organisations can help improve:

• The delivery of health services
• The experience for patients, their carers and family members
• Health outcomes

The Guide has been developed by consumers for consumers. It explains how to build and strengthen consumer partnerships at all levels of the health system to support person-centred care and drive positive change.

Using the Guide, both consumers and health service organisations can improve their understanding of how to get the most from their partnerships, so there are better health outcomes for all consumers.

Partnering with Consumers: A guide for consumers

2023

Guide, user guide or guidelines

Consumer Insights Video Series

The Consumer Insights Video Series sheds light on the invaluable impact of engaging consumers to ensure safe and high-quality care for all health consumers. 

Developed in partnership with peak consumer health organisations across Australia, consumer representatives share their perceptions, experiences, and recommendations, helping to raise awareness around the importance of elevating the voice of patients for inspiring positive change and shaping the healthcare system. 

WPSD digital resources

Overview

The theme for World Patient Safety Day 2022 was Medication Safety, building on the WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge - Medication without harm. Health services are encouraged to take action and prioritise medication safety across the WHO's three flagship areas:

1. Monitoring polypharmacy and responding to inappropriate polypharmacy
2. Reducing harm from high-risk medicines
3. Improving medication safety at transitions of care

Patients, with the support of their healthcare providers, are also encouraged to better understand their medicines to improve their safe and quality use of medicines. 

WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge

The Commission was engaged by the Australian Government Department of Health to develop Australia’s response to the third WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge – Medication without harm. This response presented information on medication safety programs and initiatives in Australia in 2020, and recommended priority actions to achieve goals of the Challenge.

Medication without harm – WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge: Australia's response

2020

Publication, report or update

Initiatives around Australia

To mark World Patient Safety Day 2022, the Commission invited health services around Australia to showcase their initiatives in reducing medication-related harm, across one or more of the WHO flagship areas.

A range of exemplar projects, highlighting various quality improvement achievements in medication safety, were received.

• View exemplar projects from around Australia

Commission CPD event

The Commission organised a staff education event that addressed current initiatives across the three flagship areas - see 'Commission resources' under each flagship area below. The event also highlighted future areas of work to reduce medication-related harm, including greater awareness and education for consumers about effective medication management and preventative measures to reduce disease burden.

Testimonial videos

The Commission invited prominent medication safety experts to share their key messages for World Patient Safety and how we all have a role to play to achieve medication without harm.