Protecting patient safety in resource-poor settings

A crucial element in the delivery of high-quality health care is patient safety. The rate of adverse events among hospital patients is an indication of patient safety. A systematic review of in-hospital adverse events revealed the median incidence of adverse events as 9.2%; 7.4% were lethal and 43.5% preventable. All the studies in the systemic review were from developed countries, as research is lacking from developing countries. In 2012, data from 10 developing countries reported adverse events ranging from 2.5 to 18.4% per country; 30% were lethal and 83% preventable. This study places patient safety as one of the major concerns of the health policy agenda in developing countries. Human resources for health deficits in developing countries constitute a major structural constraint for ensuring patient safety. The key to reducing adverse events in health care is system-based interventions rather than clinical interventions or technologies. Patient safety skills training, effective communication, and good team work are essential in improving patient safety in developing countries. Research on patient safety is needed to address the knowledge gap in developing countries.