We must listen to patients more to improve healthcare safety

Children’s plight is especially heartbreaking because they are too young to comprehend the complexities of illness. Parents and guardians, on the other hand, are gripped by a profound sense of concern as they watch their children suffer, wishing for their beloved offspring’s recovery.

In this context, the primary responsibility of the healthcare system is unquestionable: to heal patients without causing further harm. The World Health Organization’s 2021-2030 Global Patient Safety Action Plan is helping to shine a brighter light on patient safety. Its guiding principle is simple: First and foremost, do no harm while providing medical care.

However, the current reality paints a troubling picture. According to WHO reports, one out of every ten patients is harmed while in the healthcare system, with over 3 million lives tragically lost yearly due to unsafe medical practices. To add insult to injury, half of this harm could have been avoided.

While concrete data on patient harm in Kenya remains elusive, the Ministry of Health has taken an admirable step forward by announcing the adoption of the National Policy on Patient Safety, Health Worker Safety, and Quality of Care in 2022. This policy covers many issues, including medication errors, risky surgical procedures, hospital-acquired infections and diagnostic inaccuracies.

However, the road to better healthcare does not stop here. Patient engagement emerges as a critical factor in ensuring their safety while undergoing treatment in the healthcare system. It is critical to equip patients with knowledge about their diagnosis, treatment options, and potential outcomes so that they can be active participants in their own recovery.

We must acknowledge that patient education must begin long before they enter a medical facility. It starts with encouraging people to seek medical attention. Symptoms are frequently dismissed as mere manifestations of minor ailments. While this judgment is frequently correct, errors in judgment can have far-reaching consequences.

It is the responsibility of medical practitioners to continue providing comprehensive information to patients once they enter a healthcare facility. This includes explanations of hospital procedures, required tests or imaging, treatment options, and the risks and benefits of each. When medication is prescribed, doctors and pharmacists are responsible for ensuring that the recipient understands the purpose of each drug and its respective dosages.

Furthermore, as a critical component of patient-centred care, hospitals and healthcare professionals must embrace openness to feedback. Understanding the underlying causes of patient harm necessitates carefully examining patients’ experiences and perspectives on the care they receive.

On a larger scale, understanding patients’ needs necessitates their active participation in the planning stages of healthcare policies. Governments, in turn, must create mechanisms to include patient representatives in decision-making processes and actively seek the advice of advocates during policy formulation and implementation at the national and county levels.

Leaders in healthcare organisations play a critical role in ensuring that patient advocacy is more than just an abstract concept and that it is translated into concrete action. This includes opening channels for patient and family feedback, allowing for incident reporting, and conducting investigations into incidents of patient harm.

Furthermore, it is critical to prioritise the development of staff communication and patient management skills through reskilling and upskilling.

Without a doubt, treating patients as active partners in their healthcare journey reaps significant benefits, including increased safety, increased patient satisfaction, and improved health outcomes.

Encouraging patients and their families to take an active role in their healthcare is a significant step toward creating a safer healthcare system.