Patient Safety as the Foundation of High-Quality Healthcare: An Organisational Imperative
Patient safety is the cornerstone of healthcare quality. Yet, despite decades of progress, preventable harm continues to affect millions of patients worldwide. Unsafe care—arising from inadequate systems, inconsistent practices, workforce pressures, and structural inefficiencies—remains a persistent global challenge across healthcare settings. Addressing patient safety therefore requires more than isolated interventions; it demands sustained organisational commitment and system-wide action.
In response to this challenge, the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) has developed the White Paper on Patient Safety in Healthcare Organisations. The White Paper provides a comprehensive, practical framework to help hospitals and healthcare organisations strengthen patient safety and reduce avoidable harm. Its central premise is clear: patient safety must be embedded into the governance, culture, and everyday operations of healthcare organisations.
The White Paper identifies several recurring barriers that undermine safety efforts. These include insufficient leadership prioritisation of patient safety, gaps in health worker education and training, inconsistent implementation of evidence-based practices, and limited engagement of patients and families in safety initiatives. When these weaknesses persist, even well-intentioned safety programmes struggle to deliver lasting improvements.
To address these challenges, ISQua’s framework is structured around four interdependent pillars: Advocacy and Leadership; Health Worker Education and Safety; Patient, Family, and Carer Engagement and Empowerment; and Improvement in Clinical Processes. Together, these pillars provide a roadmap for healthcare leaders seeking to integrate safety into their organisational strategy and practice.
Leadership and governance play a defining role. Visible advocacy by senior leaders is essential to ensure patient safety is prioritised across policies, resource allocation, and performance systems. Strong governance mechanisms promote accountability and help cultivate a culture where safety is viewed as a collective responsibility rather than an individual burden. Importantly, the White Paper highlights the need for governance structures to integrate person-centred care principles, ensuring safety initiatives reflect patients’ needs, preferences, and values.
Equity and sustainability are also central considerations. Patient safety efforts must address disparities in care and outcomes, while recognising the growing impact of climate-related health risks. By integrating environmentally sustainable practices into safety strategies, healthcare organisations can protect both patient well-being and long-term system resilience.
The White Paper places strong emphasis on the safety and well-being of healthcare workers. Physical and psychological safety, supported by effective education and training, enables staff to deliver safer care. Work environments that foster wellbeing, inclusion, and a sense of belonging are associated with fewer safety incidents and stronger safety cultures. Investing in the workforce is therefore not optional; it is fundamental to patient safety.
Engaging patients, families, and carers is another critical driver of safer care. Meaningful involvement fosters collaboration, improves communication, and helps identify risks that may otherwise remain hidden. When patients are empowered as partners, safety becomes a shared goal rather than a professional obligation alone.
Finally, the White Paper underscores the importance of redesigning clinical structures and processes. Standardising care pathways, reducing unwarranted variation, and implementing evidence-based practices enhance reliability and improve outcomes. These efforts are most effective when supported by a strong organisational culture of learning and continuous improvement.
ISQua’s focus on patient safety aligns closely with its mission: to inspire and drive improvement in the quality and safety of healthcare worldwide through education and knowledge sharing, external evaluation, supporting health systems, and connecting people through global networks. The White Paper also supports implementation of the World Health Organization’s Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030, translating global priorities into actionable organisational strategies.
Ultimately, the ISQua White Paper calls on healthcare leaders to move from intention to implementation—placing patient safety at the centre of decision-making and ensuring safer care for all.
Find out more - https://isqua.org/resources-blog/isqua-white-paper-on-patient-safety.html
Download '.pdf' Format of the whitepaper.
