Safer by Design: Preventing the Next Medical Error

Recent data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information reveals that approximately 155,000 Canadians experience some form of medical error or harm during hospital stays each year. This includes issues such as infections, procedural errors, and medication mistakes. In response, CIHI has partnered with Healthcare Excellence Canada to enhance patient safety through the Hospital Harm Improvement Resources, which aim to mistake-proof healthcare systems by utilizing data and best practices.

Jennifer Zelmer, CEO of Healthcare Excellence Canada, emphasizes the importance of understanding past safety records to improve future care. The latest statistics indicate that one in 17 adult hospital stays results in patient harm, a rate that has remained stable since the pandemic but has increased compared to pre-pandemic levels. This highlights the strain on healthcare systems and the need for continuous improvement in patient safety protocols.

A notable success story comes from Saskatchewan, where a health team led by Tiffany Blair implemented over 70 process improvements to enhance the safety of home kidney dialysis. Initially, the failure rate for catheter insertion was 40%, but after four years of focused efforts, this rate dropped to 8.8%. The project involved collaboration with patients and families to identify issues and improve the overall experience, ultimately allowing more patients to manage their care at home rather than in hospitals.

Zelmer and Blair discuss the broader implications of patient safety, including the psychological aspects of care and the importance of equity in healthcare delivery. As Canadian Patient Safety Week approaches, they encourage healthcare providers to engage in conversations about improving safety conditions and to utilize available resources to foster a culture of safety across all healthcare settings.

Whether it’s an infection, a fall or some other unintended outcome, hospital harm remains a serious concern. It's something the Canadian Institute for Health Information tracks, with the latest report showing one in 17 hospital stays in Canada is linked with some sort of patient harm. That’s more than just a number. It represents a real person whose recovery may have taken an unexpected turn. The data also shows rates have stayed relatively stable since the pandemic, but are still higher than they were before COVID-19. So, what’s putting patients at risk and, more importantly, what can hospitals do to stop harm before it happens? In this episode of the Canadian Health Information Podcast, host Avis Favaro speaks with Jennifer Zelmer, President and CEO of Healthcare Excellence Canada, and Dr. Tiffany Blair, of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, about what’s behind patient safety challenges in Canadian hospitals — and the opportunities to make care safer. They discuss the impact of mounting pressure on the health system, including workforce strain and staff turnover, and how these challenges can affect the continuity and safety of care. The good news is that CIHI data also offers a roadmap for improvement because safer care is about spotting the warning signs, learning from the evidence and building systems that make things go right in the first place. The conversation spotlights the Hospital Harm Improvement Resource, developed by Healthcare Excellence Canada in partnership with CIHI, and how it can help health care organizations turn evidence into action to reduce preventable harm. As Zelmer puts it, “Hospitals right across the country are using these data and the opportunities to improve, and they use it in different ways.” Because improving patient safety isn’t just about responding when something goes wrong. It’s about designing care to make harm less likely in the first place. This episode is available in English only.

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