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World Patient Safety Day 2022: are medication errors preventable?
29 September 2022
On 13 September 2022, EHMA and the International Alliance of Patients Organisations (IAPO) jointly organised the webinar ‘Medication without harm: fostering medication safety in hospitals’ under the aegis of the World Patient Safety Day. The webinar raised awareness about patient safety and called for solidarity and united action by all countries and international partners to reduce harm to patients from medication. EHMA is strongly committed to the topic of patient safety and medication errors, also through the Alliance for the Digitalisation of Medication Management in European Hospitals to issue recommendations to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Member States.
EHMA and IAPO invited a panel representing a wide range of stakeholder views: hospital pharmacists, patients, self-care, quality and safety experts and health managers to discuss the current state of play, exactly 5 years after the launch of the WHO’s Global Safety Challenge and what is needed for the successful implementation of the Strategic Framework guidelines.
European Member States show high variabilities of patient ratios suffering a medication error. Patient harm from medications may exceed the risk from counterfeit medications or medication shortages. Medication safety and medication harm are amongst the most under-appreciated sources of risk in health care professionals’ everyday practice. Although quality management studies report medication harm occurrences as non-existent, they do exist in hospital settings and in transitions of care due to the fragmentation between care settings and the lack of imprecise records of patients’ medication therapeutic information. Children and are nurses more likely to be implicated when an error is not intercepted.
Numerous solutions exist to effectively manage and reduce medication errors. One is patients’ active participation in medication-related debates and discussions with healthcare professionals to report harm and feelings of discomfort which might be the result of a medication error. Strong patient peer groups and advocates can provide examples of how patients should engage in managing their own health. Health literacy and patient empowerment can also play an important role in allowing patients to take better health decisions and be active agents of their self-care. Digital tools can address patients’ unmet needs and can significantly empower them. Electronic Product Information (ePI) can reduce errors from medication and ensure patients equal access to medication information.
Introducing digital tools, fostering cultures of safety, installing independent, audit, metrics and use of measurable real-world data are required to tackle patient harm from medication and provide more detailed information on medication errors.
Medication errors are preventable!
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What our Members say
I have been active in EHMA since the first years of the '90s and I have seen its evolution from a small association of members interested in sharing knowledge on health management practices to the current status of reference and advisory key player for EU, health systems and organisations, stakeholders associations, industry and universities. EHMA is now a unique knowledge hub, policy advisor, community of practice and network of best in class organisations involved in health policy and management. A place where health managers can build their competences, policy-makers and stakeholder associations envision how to implement and sustain change through health management, industry leaders understand how to engage more effectively with health organisations and systems. The right place to nurture and grow health management capabilities and capacity for every stakeholder of health systems.
Prof. Federico Lega, University of Milan, Italy
Health management has a crucial function in shaping public health and health system challenges. The Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria had success in collaborating with EHMA on EU-funded projects that has resourced us to create new health management competencies for the future workforce. In addition to all classical definitions, health management is a science dealing with individuals, groups, and society at large. It is an art contributing to the beauty of our lives and an interactive communication process at all levels of institutions and human energy. I have also had the pleasure to chair the South Eastern European Special Interest Group which gives members a space to discuss and tools to address how health systems are managed in our regions.
Prof. Todorka Kostadinova, Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria
I enjoy the high level of interaction and engagement in EHMA’s activities, in particular during the annual conference where the panel discussions are rich and well prepared. As a hospital manager and professor of health management, EHMA motivates and inspires me to be creative. You go back home feeling energised from seeing old friends and making new connections, as well as being convinced of serving as EHMA’s ambassador. It’s a strong feeling of interdisciplinary engagement, but it also feels like being part of family-like community.
Prof. Sandra C. Buttigieg, University of Malta, Malta
EHMA is a pre-eminent organisation for everyone working in planning, managing and delivering health services across Europe. As a long standing member of EHMA I have always been impressed by the vibrant community of managers, researchers and academics it has created and by the many opportunities for sharing knowledge and funding opportunities it has brought to its members. Its international scope is impressive and its impact is often felt in management and research across European and national health systems.
Prof. Axel Kaehne, Edge Hill University, UK
Health workforce has become more essential in operating, managing and maintaining health systems lately, particularly in crisis and emergency situations. European healthcare professions and the workforce need to be high on the agenda of managers and decision makers. The Health Services Management Training Centre, Semmelweis University in Hungary is a longstanding EHMA member, because it connects us with collaborators and experts, with whom we can have complex debates, from whom we can learn and at the end find solutions in various challenging fields of healthcare management.
Dr Eszter Kovács, Health Services Management Training Centre, Semmelweis University, Hungary
As a hospital administrator and health management professor, I see on a daily basis that the healthcare challenges require talented and skilled managers to transform it. the EHMA membership has been beneficial to bring healthcare management research and education to the demanding healthcare services world, promoting healthcare management competencies and knowledge creation.
Dr Alexandre Lourenco, APAH - Association of Portuguese Hospital Managers, Portugal
Many healthcare systems in Europe and beyond are facing similar challenges which require innovative and creative solutions. EHMA’s annual conference, webinars, Programme Directors’ group and other activities and resources provide incredible opportunities for networking, connecting and sharing experiences. A distinct feature of EHMA is the diversity of members with representation from many countries, sectors and different communities of practice – academic, policy-makers, practitioners, managers, leaders and students. The annual conference is a highlight in the calendar year, offering a friendly, fun and learningful environment for emerging and established members to engage, collaborate and meet up with old and new friends. I am proud to be a member of the EHMA Board.
Prof. Ann Mahon, University of Manchester, UK
Society evolution, pandemics and ageing modify health needs. So, health policies and services are to change dramatically. EHMA, through webinars, workshops and annual conference provides an excellent insight to a professional changing world, favouring closeness to management innovation and the protagonists of these changes. As a primary care services’ manager, participating in EHMA activities is really worth it and allows to involve oneself in the innovation processes.
Dr Antoni Peris Grao, Consorci Castelldefels Agents de Salut (CASAP), Spain