We trust our doctors with our lives. We repose a lot of faith in the medical system, believing doctors know best what's good for our health. Yet, there have been plenty of instances of medical negligence in the country, which makes one wonder whether this trust is misplaced. According to WHO ratings, Indian healthcare has been ranked a dismal 112th in the world. Dr Ambanna Gowda, Consultant Physician, Fortis, Bangalore says that Indian healthcare system struggles to measure patient safety, a very important parameter for any healthcare sector. "As India has still not really adopted electronic medical records. Also, key contributory factors are overdiagnosis and reducing Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs)," he says. But India is not alone. WHO estimates that even one in 10 patients in developed countries is harmed during treatment. To bring attention to this problem, World Patient Safety Day is observed on December 9 every year.

Why Do We Need Patient Safety?

Dr Gowda points out, "In hospitals, an estimated seven to 17 percent of adverse events occur due to diagnostic errors, based on studies of retrospective record reviews." At least one in 20 adults are victims of diagnostic errors each year. Medical Negligence in Kanpur: 5 Deaths in ICU Due to AC Failure, Hospital Denies.

Such incidents go beyond just a single episode of care, according to Dr Gowda. "It can cause ripple effects in the form of inaccurate treatment plans, adverse health events, and psychological and financial consequences," he stresses. Mumbai Medical Negligence: Rat ‘Nibbles’ an Eye of Comatose Patient at Government Hospital.

According to a 2015 review in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine and the National Health Portal, some examples of compromising patient safety include:

  • Therapeutic error

  • Misdiagnosis

  • Counterfeit medicines

  • Unsafe injection practices

  • Health-care acquired infections

  • Readmissions

  • Wrong site surgery

  • Miscommunication

India, however, is at different stages of the journey, as far as patient safety is concerned. Dr Gowda says that larger corporate hospitals have made a start in introducing world-class health systems. "But the smaller private providers and the country's unorganised primary care sector, which faces an overwhelming patient workload, needs support and encouragement," he adds. Class 8th Pass Owner of Aryan Hospital Seen Operating Patient, Video Goes Viral!

How To Ensure Patient Safety

To make sure that treatment-related casualties are minimised, the National Health Portal recommends the following steps for doctors and medical institutions.

  • Identify the patient and enter the patient's personal records correctly.

  • Do not use abbreviations while writing prescriptions. Doctors should use upper case to write so that patients can read them correctly.

  • Train healthcare professionals from time to time to ensure errors are minimised.

  • Ensure that healthcare infrastructure is proper so that patients are not harmed during hospitalisation.

  • Usage of signages will help reduce the chances of delays during hospitalisation.

  • Healthcare professions should take proper care while handing over patients during shifts.

  • Educating and engaging the patients and their family in safety.

  • Doctors should be trained to use medicines judicially without over prescription.

Patient safety should start with the patient’s home and their own health literacy and be an integrated value of all healthcare providers from hospitals, to medical clinics, long-term care facilities," says Dr Gowda.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 09, 2018 01:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).