Patient safety gets the focus this fall
Monday September 10, 2007 -- Natalie Miller
Opportunities await this fall to learn more about making patients safer and creating a better culture in Canada's hospitals.

From making patient safety a topic on the frontlines to learning how to cope with a large-scale emergency, there are at least two courses this fall aimed at creating a safer healthcare system in Canada.

Southwestern Ontario healthcare professionals are invited to learn more about hospital patient safety initiatives and national strategies at an upcoming summit.

London Health Sciences Centre hosts the patient safety conference on Wednesday, Oct. 24 at the Four Points Sheraton in London. The conference is of interest to administrative leaders, professional practice leaders, frontline staff and physicians. It’s intended to provide attendees with concentrated learning for one day on issues surrounding patient safety. Organizers say it’s an opportunity to champion and advocate for better patient safety each and every day.

It’s a challenge healthcare workers are up for as many hospitals have joined on board with the Safer Healthcare Now (SHN) campaign.

The SHN campaign is modelled after United States-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s 100,000 Lives Campaign. Similar to its American counterpart, the SHN Campaign targets six priority areas where death or injury as a result of complications is more likely to occur. Since its inception in 2005, more than 185 hospitals and healthcare organizations have joined the campaign.

Hospitals are serious about creating safer cultures and putting into practice initiatives that help minimize risk to patients. For instance, by a forming a patient safety council, one southwestern Ontario hospital has achieved a reduction — to almost zero — in the number of infections caused by central venous lines. As well, the hospital has put into place rapid response teams. This provides nurses access to specialists, including a critical care physician, when a patient isn’t responding as well as expected. Early intervention prevents cardiac arrest and stays in the intensive care unit.

On a broader scale, the Ontario Hospital Association is encouraging healthcare leaders to plan ahead for larger-type emergencies by taking an upcoming course.

Events including the September 11, 2001 terrorism attacks on the United States and the SARS outbreak in Canada in 2003 have anchored the need to be prepared for the unexpected. The training tool is called The Incident Management System (IMS) and is used by fire departments here and in the United States as well as a number of police and emergency medical services. Hospitals are also beginning to use IMS.

The training is geared toward hospital staff directly involved in the development and operations of emergency management planning and procedures within their organization and will be of interest to individuals who have direct responsibility for safety and security, emergency procedures, risk management, including senior administrators, critical care providers, emergency department staff and clinical educators.

The course, developed by the OHA and Toronto Emergency Medical Services, is offered Oct. 22 to Oct. 24 at the CN Tower, 301 Front St.W. in Toronto.

By developing best practices within healthcare centres and having the proper emergency procedures in place, partnering to create a safer healthcare system in Canada is within reach.