The Centre for Patient Safety was awarded a grant of 3.8 million by The World Health Organization to assess adverse events and train surveyors at identified hospitals in Pakistan on reviewing patient safety problems.
As part of the grant, the team, in collaboration with Community Health Sciences conducted a 3- day workshop from 25th-27th October 2021 at Beach Luxury Hotel, Karachi. The workshop was attended by 30 participants across Pakistan that aimed at assessing patient safety-related issues and preparing the participants for future precautionary measures to mitigate harm.
The workshop was conducted with key stakeholders from six identified hospitals i.e., Bacha Khan Medical College DHQ Hospital, Swabi, Sheikh Khalifah Bin Zayyad Hospital Quetta, The Children hospital & the Institute of Child Health, Lahore, Federal General Hospital, Islamabad, and Lyari Hospital, Karachi in the area patient safety.
Subject matter experts from AKU and The World Health Organization delivered lectures on several interactive topics including patient safety culture and standards in Pakistani healthcare settings. The stakeholders also shared their experiences of adverse events, preventable harm, and local reporting regarding patient safety.
The session included a pre-test and post-test to assess participants' knowledge before and after the training. The overall % improvement of pre and post-test is reported as 8% and depicts an increase from 72%-80%. However, the result of the overall assessment activity is 4.5 based on indicators such as activity objectives, content covered as per defined objectives, overall presentations, level of interaction, time management, the response of queries, technical skills, etc.
The session was then followed by focus group discussions with administrative staff, managers, physicians, and nurses of the selected hospitals. The interviews helped to draw meaningful insights about the understanding of the existing capacity of patient safety culture, initiatives, and quality improvement mechanisms at the hospitals.
After the workshop, the participants received certificates with CME credits. Overall, the session received positive feedback from the participants.
With such initiatives and a clear commitment towards promoting a culture of quality and safety across Pakistan, the CPS team is focused to bring a positive change in the healthcare culture of Pakistan.
