News from our PFPS Champions
A halfyearly round-up of news - February 2009
PROGRESS IN PERU
Reported by Alfonso Maldonado, PFPS Champion, Peru
In 2008 I have been trying to spread the voice and raise awareness about the World Alliance for Patient Safety by giving presentations to nurses in some of Lima’s largest hospitals. I have been offering talks to nurses with the objective of raising awareness about patient safety and to help nurses understand that their work is so important from the human point of view, and also that they can make a difference through their work and achievements. Such is the case for Julio Mendiguren, a member of my group, who has been successful in raising awareness around new issues, and his work is appreciated, and last month he participated as a candidate to become Dean of Peru’s College of Nurses. This has made us stronger, and provides us with possibilities for future progress.
I also worked as an anonymous facilitator in the Medical Federation of Peru’s strike in which there was a strong division between Doctors and the Minister of Health, and this involved a personal meeting with the President of the Federation, Dean of Lima’s medical college and the delegates, and after 2 hours I was able to convince them to seek a solution for the good of the patients.
My time is very tight, but we have been building a path, communicating with the diverse representatives of the medical associations trying to overcome the challenges. Peru’s doctor – patient scene is changing a lot, and I hope we can advance much more this year.
EDUCATION WORK IN PERUGIA, ITALY
Reported by Silvana Simi and Lucio Patoia, PFPS Champions, Italy
A Continuing Medical Education course on “The improvement of clinical practice and patient safety” took place on Friday 19th December in Perugia (Italy), addressed to healthcare professionals. Lucio Patoia, one of the three Italian PFPS Champions was the organizer and one of the speakers, and another Champion, Silvana Simi was invited to give a talk as well.
It has been a great opportunity to bring again the patient’s voice into a professional environment, such as the Italian one, not much used to looking at the patient as a full partner in all the process of health care.
The talks mainly focused on Evidence Based Continuing Education to promote an Evidence Based Practice and consequently to improve the appropriateness and effectiveness of clinical activities and the safety of patients. The final round table focused on the hurdles to a proper clinical practice from the point of view of the NHS management, the nurses, the Quality Services and patients.
While Lucio pinpointed the types and directions of the relationship between continuing education and clinical practice in Italian hospitals, Silvana continued to offer the patient's perspective, and had the opportunity to stress that health is more than numbers and beyond numbers, acronyms and statistic there are persons whose lives are affected by diseases and sometime by errors and malpractice.
This experience has further confirmed that, at least at Italian level, to have as PFPS Champions also healthcare professionals, such as medical doctors particularly committed to the “person-centred-medicine” and able to work together with “lay” PFPS Champions, helps a lot to develop strategies to empower patients and to increase public involvement and awareness in health care and social care decision making.
ALEXANDRIA PATIENT SAFETY ALLIANCE, EGYPT
Reported by Dr Damaty, PFPS Champion, Egypt
It is our pleasure to announce the formation of the Alexandria Patients Safety Alliance (APSA). The APSA is formed of an alliance between the various healthcare stakeholders in Alexandria Governorate. They include the University of Alexandria, Ministry of Health and Population, Medical Insurance Organization, Private Hospitals, Patients and Community members. The APSA 's vision is to work towards safe and friendly hospitals with staff that listen, learn and respond collaboratively to ensure patient safety and dignity. This is an open invitation to all of those who are interested in patient safety to join the alliance so we can work together to achieve a safer environment for our patients in our governorate and beyond.
APSA Declaration
We, the Alexandria Patient Safety Alliance (APSA) aim at promoting safe healthcare. We are committed in making our hospitals safer by minimizing the risk of harm to our patients. The APSA in its formation will ensure participation of the different healthcare stakeholders including patients and community members. We, are committed in achieving our aims through ethical and scientific means that preserve patient dignity and produce valid evidence that is shared in a transparent environment.
We, will work collaboratively in creating a critical level of awareness on patient safety in our community. We, will also foster a culture of learning and understanding from adverse events and encourage confidential reporting of healthcare errors to help focus efforts on error prevention and correction rather than individual or organization culpability.
We, will jointly promote sound clinical practices through the implementation of safety programs and institutional capacity building and through targeted programs based on stakeholders needs. We, will encourage educational and professional bodies to include patient safety in their curricula and professional development programs. We, will create constructive dialogue with other parties wishing to enhance patient safety within their healthcare setting.