A series of video capsules

Patient safety is critical to providing quality essential health care services, as patient harm due to adverse events is one of the world’s 10 leading causes of death and morbidity.

WHO’s World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) for 2022 aims to raise global awareness of “Medication Safety” and address the problem of medication errors, the most common adverse event in hospitals, accounting for one-third of all adverse events, peaking at 38% when considering intensive care units (ICUs) alone.

To mark WPSD, the ESICM released a series of videos to raise awareness among intensivists worldwide of this global issue and the strategies to maximise patient safety. Topics include medical errors in the ICU and, in general, how to monitor patient safety in the ICU and include the perspective of families.

The Society has long advocated for involving patients and families in improving ICU standards of care and patient safety, as this can reduce the burden of harm by up to 15%. “We are committed to better understanding the natural history of medical errors and identifying targets for improvements”, says ESICM President-Elect Élie Azoulay.