WHO has been the advocate of patient safety for nearly two decades and declared 17 September to be World Patient Safety Day in 2019. This year’s theme is safe maternal and newborn care during childbirth and Hungary has been involved in the events related to the world day since the beginning. This year’s patient safety conference was held on 16 September organized by Semmelweis University’s Health Services Management Training Center, the NEVES Association and the Hungarian Health Management Association supported by the Hungarian Office of WHO. This is the third event in Hungary raising awareness among the public on the importance of patient safety.
Experts have also put together a guideline of 7 tips for pregnant women:
- Use the opportunities provided by the health service and follow their advice!
- Find out about the risks, signs and symptoms of preterm birth, so that they can be detected as early as possible and seek help immediately.
- Follow the lifestyle recommended by health professionals, which can not only reduce the risk of preterm birth but is also necessary for the healthy development of the mother and the baby.
- Get information from credible and reliable resources.
- Participate in childbirth preparatory courses.
- Ask questions, talk about your concerns to your caregivers.
- Prepare yourself mentally and physically for the birth and the first days after birth
Before a plane takes off, it is standard and mandatory practice for the pilot to check the parameters required for takeoff based on a checklist. For surgeries and childbirth, WHO has prepared checklists that have not been integrated either into educational or surgical processes yet. It is our mission to change this practice: with the help of a simple checklist, we can eliminate avoidable problems that are caused by human error. Expectant mothers are encouraged to find out, whether their hospital uses these checklists.
– said Dr. Éva Belicza, associate professor and head of the Patient Safety Group at Semmelweis University’s Health Services Management Training Center and leader of the Hungarian program.
Semmelweis University’s Health Services Management Training Center
Photo: Pixabay (illustration)
Translation: Ágnes Raubinek
