Global leaders in healthcare gathered at the University of California, Irvine, for the opening day of the 11th Annual World Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit, hosted by the Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF). The summit, which brings together top experts and policymakers from across the globe, aims to tackle the most pressing issues in patient safety, particularly medical errors that contribute to preventable harm.
The summit began with an emotional moment as Joe Kiani, founder of PSMF, was honoured by the Patient Safety Global Ministerial Summit for his longstanding contributions to the cause of patient safety. The accolade, presented by Dr. Mike Durkin, chair of the PSMF board, acknowledged Kiani’s efforts in reducing avoidable harm in healthcare through partnerships with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the development of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan.
Dr. Durkin praised Kiani’s unwavering commitment, stating: “We honour Joe Kiani with the utmost respect for his tireless efforts to reduce avoidable harm. His leadership, partnership with WHO, and contributions to the Global Ministerial Summits have been crucial in advancing patient safety. Thanks to Joe’s dedication, healthcare environments worldwide are safer, and patients will continue to benefit from his work for years to come.”
In his acceptance speech, Kiani expressed his gratitude, saying: “I am deeply honoured by this recognition. The collaboration between the Patient Safety Global Ministerial Summit, WHO, and Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has played a pivotal role in elevating patient safety on the global agenda. Together, we have the knowledge and tools to create a healthcare system that eliminates preventable harm. We must continue to implement evidence-based practices and ensure that hospital boards and executives demand these improvements. We have come a long way, but we cannot rest until we achieve ZERO preventable harm.”
The summit marks a decade of progress in patient safety advocacy. Since 2016, the Global Ministerial Summits on Patient Safety have raised awareness and sustained momentum in the global movement. The adoption of the WHO resolution (WHA72.6) on “Global Action on Patient Safety” in May 2019, followed by the first-ever World Patient Safety Day in September of that year, has been a significant milestone in global health policy.
Several distinguished leaders in patient safety are set to deliver keynote addresses and participate in discussions over the course of the summit. Among them is Dr. Don Berwick, a senior fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, who will focus on how to maintain progress in patient safety initiatives. His keynote will reflect on last year’s recommendations made to the US President in the PCAST report, “A Transformational Effort on Patient Safety,” highlighting the importance of keeping patient safety at the forefront of national conversations.
In the afternoon session, Dr. Craig Umscheid, Director of the Centre for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety at the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), will present on the AHRQ’s National Action Alliance for Patient and Workforce Safety. This initiative adopts a systemic approach to safety through self-assessments and aims to reduce harms by 50% from their pandemic-era peak over the next two years.
Dr. Michelle Schreiber, Director of the Quality Measurement and Value-Based Incentives Group at the Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), will outline CMS’s National Quality Strategy and its efforts to improve healthcare standards in the US. Her address will focus on promoting a culture of safety, transparency, and partnership, while also incentivising healthcare providers to aim for zero harm.
The summit also features an impressive roster of speakers, including California’s Surgeon General, Dr. Diana Ramos; Dr. Peter Ziese, Head of Medical Innovation & Strategy at Philips; Scott Hamilton Kennedy, an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker; Dr. Evan Benjamin, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School; and Henrietta Hughes, Patient Safety Commissioner for England.
Panel discussions will delve into critical areas such as real-time data use from electronic medical records, fostering collaboration across healthcare systems, and the essential role of hospital leadership in embedding a culture of safety within their institutions. These sessions will provide insight into the cutting-edge strategies being used to improve patient safety and reduce preventable harm.
The PSMF was founded in 2012 by Joe Kiani, with a mission to eliminate preventable medical errors that lead to harm in healthcare settings. By working with global experts in patient safety, the foundation has developed Actionable Evidence-Based Practices to address key challenges. Hospitals that commit to the PSMF’s vision of ZERO preventable deaths are encouraged to adopt these practices. Additionally, healthcare technology companies are urged to sign the Open Data Pledge, sharing their data to enable the development of predictive algorithms that can identify potential errors before they become fatal.
The work of the PSMF has been supported by the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation, and Competition in Healthcare. Over the past decade, the foundation’s efforts have contributed to significant improvements in patient safety globally, but as Kiani emphasised in his speech, the goal of eliminating preventable harm remains a work in progress.
The summit’s first day set the stage for further discussions and initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of safety in healthcare worldwide. With the participation of global experts, the event continues to build momentum toward the ultimate goal of ZERO preventable harm in hospitals, ensuring that patient safety remains at the heart of healthcare reform efforts across the globe.
As the summit progresses, attendees will be encouraged to take actionable steps within their own institutions to drive further change, ensuring that the lessons learned and innovations discussed lead to tangible improvements in patient safety.
