Patient Safety: A Systematic Review of the Literature with Evidence based Measures to Improve Patient Safety in Healthcare Settings

Abstract

Patient safety is a crucial component of healthcare delivery aimed at minimizing and preventing medical errors that can cause harm or injury to patients. This systematic review identified 50 studies that evaluated interventions aimed at improving patient safety in healthcare settings, including medication reconciliation, surgical safety checklists, hand hygiene programs, and electronic health record systems. The findings suggest that most interventions led to significant improvements in patient safety outcomes, including a reduction in adverse events and preventable harm. Evidence-based measures to improve patient safety include effective communication, hand hygiene, medication safety, patient identification, fall prevention, surgical safety, infection control, and staff training. The implementation of these measures can help improve patient safety and reduce the risk of harm to patients in healthcare settings. Further research is needed to identify the most effective interventions and to evaluate the long-term impact of these interventions on patient outcomes. Keywords: Adverse events, Interventions, Medical errors, Patient safety, Preventable harm.