To promote understanding and action for quality of care and patient safety across the WHO European Region, WHO/Europe is hosting its first-ever Autumn School on Quality of Care and Patient Safety on 23–27 October in Lisbon, Portugal.
Co-organized with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Education, Research and Evaluation of Safety and Quality in Healthcare from the NOVA National School of Public Health in Lisbon, the course is the first in a series of capacity-building courses aimed at the advancement of scientific knowledge and proficiency in quality of care and patient safety in the Region.
About the course
Inspired by the WHO European Programme of Work, 2020–2025 – “United Action for Better Health”, and the Regional Director’s vision of leaving no one behind, WHO/Europe identified the need to support countries in their efforts to achieve universal health coverage, guaranteeing access to high-quality health services.
The programme offers an in-depth exploration of cutting-edge advancements in health-care quality and patient safety. Tailored to empower high-level participants, including managers, health-care professionals, and policy-makers, the course aims to foster an understanding of key concepts and practical methodologies for driving positive transformations in health systems.
Through a combination of keynote lectures, plenary sessions, workshops, case studies, and networking time, participants will gain insights into critical health-care quality and patient safety examples from across the Region.
The goal is to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to optimize health-care systems effectively, improve health outcomes that matter to patients, minimize wastage, build resilience, and emphasize the importance of a well-prepared health-care workforce capable of delivering high-quality care under challenging circumstances.
The course will bring together national representatives from the WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety, key health system decision-makers, and global experts in quality of care and patient safety.
Why a course on quality of care and patient safety
Health-care quality and patient safety are vital to providing accessible, equitable, and patient-centred health care to everyone everywhere. This course focuses on key topics:
- leadership for health-care quality
- global health, equity, and human rights – the role of quality of care
- learning systems, workforce safety and well-being
- people-centredness – how to engage patients and families
- digital solutions for quality of care.
Upon course completion, an action network will be established to enhance the quality of care and patient safety across the WHO European Region. Plans are also in place to organize the course again in the coming year.
This course paves the way for future education on quality of care and patient safety, offering health-care professionals, institutions, and policy-makers the opportunity to learn how to better safeguard individual health and meet health-care needs equitably, leaving no one behind.