Exploring patient participation in reducing health-care-related safety risks
Exploring patient participation in reducing health-care-related safety risks
Exploring patient participation in reducing health-care-related safety risks
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FOREWORD<br />
Health is a social value and an <strong>in</strong>dividual right. It generates<br />
economic benefits for countries and is a prerequisite for<br />
national development and <strong>in</strong>dividual well-be<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Member States of the WHO European Region are address<strong>in</strong>g major <strong>health</strong> challenges posed by<br />
demographic and epidemiological change, widen<strong>in</strong>g socioeconomic disparities, limited resources,<br />
technological developments and ris<strong>in</strong>g public expectations. Evidence cont<strong>in</strong>ues to show that<br />
address<strong>in</strong>g the quality and <strong>safety</strong> of <strong>care</strong> is one of the ma<strong>in</strong> entry po<strong>in</strong>ts to strengthen<strong>in</strong>g <strong>health</strong><br />
services and contribut<strong>in</strong>g to wider population access and coverage.<br />
Regulation and targeted <strong>in</strong>terventions focused on <strong>health</strong> service redesign are necessary, but<br />
not sufficient, to ensur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>creased quality, better compliance with <strong>safety</strong> standards and a<br />
well-tra<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>health</strong> workforce. Health technology assessments provide evidence of the cl<strong>in</strong>ical<br />
and cost−effectiveness of new operational tools and a wealth of <strong>in</strong>formation on <strong>health</strong> and<br />
<strong>health</strong>-<strong>related</strong> <strong>in</strong>terventions and technologies is currently available for policy-makers, <strong>health</strong><br />
professionals and the general public. Accurate understand<strong>in</strong>g of this <strong>in</strong>formation can help<br />
<strong>patient</strong>s and providers to prevent and cure disease through <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g treatment compliance<br />
and enabl<strong>in</strong>g recognition of <strong>safety</strong> failures <strong>in</strong> systems.<br />
The new WHO European policy framework, Health 2020, supports action across government<br />
and society for <strong>health</strong> and well-be<strong>in</strong>g and emphasizes the role of good <strong>health</strong> <strong>in</strong> ensur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
economic and social development. The capacity of each <strong>in</strong>dividual to contribute to improv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
his or her <strong>health</strong> status should drive effective dialogue with <strong>health</strong> professionals and create<br />
mechanisms for <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g <strong>safety</strong> and improv<strong>in</strong>g compliance with prevention and <strong>care</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>terventions.<br />
The WHO Regional Office for Europe is committed to support<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong> <strong>health</strong> to<br />
address current and future challenges <strong>in</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>health</strong> status of<br />
populations, work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> collaboration with national and <strong>in</strong>ternational partners with<strong>in</strong> the<br />
WHO global <strong>patient</strong> <strong>safety</strong> strategic framework. In this context, <strong>participation</strong> of the <strong>health</strong>literate<br />
<strong>patient</strong> is seen as be<strong>in</strong>g at the core of the whole-of-society approach to better <strong>health</strong> that<br />
we encourage and promote.<br />
Zsuzsanna Jakab<br />
WHO Regional Director for Europe<br />
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