Читать книгу Pathy's Principles and Practice of Geriatric Medicine - Группа авторов - Страница 292

Patient safety may be defined as ‘the prevention and amelioration of adverse outcomes or injuries stemming from the process of healthcare’.⁴ This definition encompasses not only the avoidance of individual error or harm and the high reliability of healthcare systems but also the appropriate management of healthcare‐associated harm in terms of appropriate immediate medical management as well as supporting staff, patients, and their families.

Patient safety is just one aspect of high‐quality care. In the 2008 UK report High Quality Care for All,⁵ quality of care, defined from a patient’s point of view, encompasses safety, experience, and outcomes. In the US, ‘Crossing the quality chasm’ similarly described the elements of quality as safety, effectiveness, patient‐centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equitableness. Safety cannot be seen in isolation but should be viewed as part of the broader concept of quality healthcare. Safety has been described as ‘the dark side of quality’ because of its historical association with litigation and blame, but it is increasingly acknowledged that efforts to learn more about and improve safety are a feature of high‐quality healthcare organizations.¹