- The Institutional Forum “World Patient Safety Day” was held virtually, which is commemorated every September 17.
- The IMSS monitors that the medical processes adhere to the regulations to guarantee safe procedures to the beneficiaries.
- This year, under the slogan “Medication without harm”, the WHO calls on health institutions to take measures to avoid serious harm caused to patients due to unsafe medication practices.
The Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) implements various strategies in medical units of the three levels of care to ensure quality and safety in patient care. Among them, the measurement of clinical indicators used during care processes, an action plan for quality and patient safety, as well as the certification of medical units by the General Health Council.
Patient safety is always a priority
Other actions carried out in the Social Security medical facilities are the continuous training of health professionals. For example, in the VENCER system, which is used by Medical and Nursing personnel for the notification and analysis of adverse events to establish measures and thus prevent their recurrence.
During the Institutional Forum “World Patient Safety Day”, the head of the Medical Care Unit, Dr. Efraín Arizmendi Uribe, emphasized that this year the World Health Organization (WHO) calls for action to prevent serious harm to patients due to unsafe medication practices.
“Although taking medications has a main and primary objective that is to improve, prevent or treat diseases, this is not exempt from certain side effects or even complications. So, it is very important to control them in their manner or form of application”.
Within the framework of World Patient Safety Day, which is commemorated every September 17, the head of the Technical Coordination of Medical Risks, Quality and Patient Safety, Dr. Italy Adriana Arvizu, reported that the IMSS monitors that the processes doctors adhere to the regulations to guarantee safe procedures to the beneficiaries.
Most common medication errors
He added that these health interventions allow the Institute to meet the barriers to patient safety. For example, correct patient identification, effective communication, medication process safety, procedural safety, reduced risk of Health Care Associated Infections (IAAS) and reduction of the risk of harm to the patient due to falls.
September 17, World Day of the #Patient safety 2022. pic.twitter.com/kBHXR4ZiBb
— IMSS (@Your_IMSS) September 17, 2022
The head of the Nursing Technical Coordination, Fabiana Maribel Zepeda Arias reported that intravenous medication errors are the second leading cause of adverse events worldwide. 47 percent of these errors occur in the medication preparation and administration process.
He also commented that the National Medical Arbitration Commission indicates that, of 154 cases attended, 14 showed evidence of a probable error related to the administration of a drug.
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