WASHINGTON – Healthcare information technology is likely to play a critical role in implementing the patient safety solutions the World Health Organization released last week, said Agnès Leotsakos, MD, a member of WHO's World Alliance for Patient Safety.

　　Leotsakos and others emphasized, however, that the focus of improving patient safety should be on process first.

　　“The key message of the solutions for patient safety is to focus on the importance of designing and implementing safer systems and processes of care delivery which reduce risks to patients,” Leotsakos said, “Information technology can play an important role in supporting this.”

　　“Information technology can play an important role in supporting safer healthcare,” Leotsakos said. “For example, use of technology to verify patient identification through technologies such as bar coding. However sometimes technology can introduce new risks especially if it is poorly implemented because of, for example, inadequate staff training.”

　　The Patient Safety Solutions published by WHO's Collaborating Centre for Patient Safety Solutions address the issues of look-alike, sound-alike medication names; correct patient identification; hand-over communications; correct procedure for the correct patient; control of concentrated electrolyte solutions; medication accuracy; faulty connections of catheters and tubing; needle reuse and injection device safety; and hand hygiene.

　　In promoting its nine solutions to reduce medical errors, the WHO noted that healthcare errors affect one in every 10 patients around the world.

　　“Patient safety is now recognized as a priority by health systems around the world,” said Sir Liam Donaldson, chairman of the Alliance and chief medical officer for England. “Clear and succinct actions contained in the nine solutions have proved to be useful in reducing the unacceptably high numbers of medical injuries around the world.”

　　Karen H. Timmons, president and chief executive officer, Joint Commission International, agreed with Leotsakos on the role healthcare IT could play in patient safety and with the emphasis on process first. “The solutions were designed for broad applicability-whether a country is developed, transitional or developing,” Timmons said. “Therefore, they focus first on good process design that prevents harm from reaching the patient. In developed countries, healthcare technology may facilitate a solution's implementation. The important thing is that the process which is in place to ensure correct patient identification – whether in a developed or developing country, be designed to mitigate the risk of error-prior to technology being implemented.”

　　Developed countries – that have the resources – might utilize automated bar coding or radiofrequency identification, Timmons said, whereas developing countries may use ID bands or markings on skin identifying specific patient identification information, such as name and date of birth.