The Summit began with a powerful keynote address by Dr. Michael Ramsay, CEO of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation. He reflected on the role the increasing availability of hospital data on medical errors could play in reducing harm. “Technology is changing; we’re now getting real data.... I’m very optimistic that we’re really going to see a difference in healthcare,” he said.

In his State of the Movement Speech, Joe Kiani, founder of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, emphasised urgency in improving patient safety, praising contributions from individuals and organisations. He also acknowledged the movement’s achievements and called for learning from successful hospitals, transparency, and government support.

Dr. Mike Durkin, chair of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation Board, highlighted the need for improved collaboration in patient safety and the importance of exploring causes and fostering open discussions. He identified the integration of innovative medical technology and devices as crucial for effecting change.

Several distinguished speakers also shared invaluable insights during the Summit:

• President Bill Clinton stressed the importance of learning from others, stating, “We have to develop a culture of conversion, nobody wants to see innocent people die.”
• Dr. Anthony Staines underscored the urgency of making patient safety a global health priority, urging action from countries, institutions, and providers.
• Dr. Jannicke Mellin-Olsen highlighted the significance of patient involvement, advocating for the patient’s voice to be heard at every level of service, even when it may be a whisper.
• Dr. Sanaz Massoumi, the Patient Safety Movement Foundation’s COO, called for a shift in focus, urging healthcare workers to prioritize the quality of care they provide over the sheer volume of cases.
• Dr. Peter Ziese advocated for a preventive approach, suggesting that instead of reacting to issues, we should strive to prevent them.
• Dr. Donald Berwick discussed intentional leadership, asserting that excellence is not accidental but a consequence of deliberate actions.
• Stephanie Mercado redefined the terms “quality” and “safety,” emphasizing that they should no longer be equated with compliance alone but incorporate striving for excellence.
• Dr. Konrad Reinhart called attention to the significant potential to reduce harm in sepsis cases, which currently surpass cancer deaths worldwide.
• Dr. Peter Pronovost discussed the importance of listening to individuals who raise concerns, noting that the majority of harm occurs when these concerns go unheard.
• Dr. Neelam Dhingra expressed belief in the global patient safety movement, which continues to gain strength.
• Dr. Michelle Block Schreiber pointed out that, despite notable advancements in patient safety, the pandemic exposed the fragility and lack of resilience in the healthcare systems across the US.
• Sir Liam Donaldson, MD, defined resilience in the face of threats, stressing the ability of organizations to bend, adapt, and grow to meet new challenges.
• Dr. Francisco Valero-Cuevas reemphasized that the problems and solutions related to patient safety are already known and that existing tools like the Actionable Evidence-Based Practices can be implemented worldwide without the need for further development.

The following panel discussions at the Summit provided an ideal platform for attendees to learn transformative knowledge and strategies from their participants:

Preventing Patient Harm: Predictive Analytics and Artificial Intelligence

Panel participants Nasim Afsar, Philip Lumb, Basil Matta, David Stockwell, and Peter Ziese, with moderator Charlie Miceli, highlighted the transformative potential of AI and predictive analytics in healthcare to enhance patient safety. By leveraging advanced algorithms and machine learning, these technologies can proactively identify risks and prevent adverse events.

President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology

PCAST member Joe Kiani moderated a panel with Ruth Ann Dorrill, Rachael Fleurence, Chris Hart, Peter Pronovost, and Sue Sheridan to discuss issues pertaining to the high rates of patient harm in healthcare, as recently addressed by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

The National Patient Safety Board

The National Patient Safety Board panel, featuring moderator Leah Binder and panelists Sir Liam Donaldson, Robert Ferguson, Najmedin Meshkati, Sue Sheridan, and Abby Towfigh, emphasized the need for a national patient safety board to prioritize and raise awareness about patient safety.

Patient Family and Engagement

Panelists Vonda Vaden Bates, Henrietta Hughes, Merope Mills, Sue Sheridan, and Angie Mund, along with moderator Helen Haskell, explored the significance of patient and family involvement in healthcare in this panel. Conversations underscored the government’s role in protecting patient interests and the importance of shared solutions, activism, and advocacy.

The Journey to Zero Harm Panel

Moderator Robin Betts and panelists Kimberly Cripe, Javier Davila, Susan McGrath, and Bill Wilson discussed eliminating preventable harm at large healthcare organizations. Representatives from Children’s Hospital of Orange County and UC Irvine noted the significant improvements their hospitals achieved while acknowledging the ongoing challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patient Safety in the News

Panelists Jessica Aguirre, David Cox, Merope Mills, and Diane Perez, with the help of moderator Jim Messina, discussed the vital role of journalists as “influencers” and the importance of unbiased reporting. They shared personal experiences and insights on storytelling techniques to engage readers and create meaningful conversations about healthcare.

Opioid Safety

The opioid safety panel addressed the far-reaching implications of opioids. Moderator Daniel Cole with panelists George Blike, Yvonne Gardner, Grant Lynde, Stacey Orsat, and Frank Overdyk examined the motivations behind opioid prescriptions and advocated for improved education programs and continuous monitoring to detect adverse events.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Merope Mills, Melissa Sheldrick, Melissa Pederson, Desiree Williams, and Juwan Lopez for their unwavering commitment to turning personal tragedies into a catalyst for progress. Their voices have ignited a sense of urgency, compelling us to redouble our efforts in the pursuit of safer and more compassionate healthcare systems.

1. We are in a public health crisis, but only our community connects it to underlying deficiencies with the healthcare system.

The coronavirus pandemic is top of mind for everyone we polled, including those in our community and the general public. However, not surprisingly, our community has a much broader concern over access and availability of healthcare, at more than double than the general public. This is chiefly due to misgivings our community feels about how well the healthcare system serves patients on a range of areas, from safety to putting patients first to being generally accessible. 

2. Bringing healthcare workers into patient safety meets the moment and expands the coalition

Due to the pandemic, healthcare worker health has become a top concern. Now is the time to bring medical professionals into the patient safety conversation as they rank as one of the most important groups of people we should be caring for today. Utilizing this moment to bring them into the conversation as part of patient safety can help mobilize the public and our community in ways we haven’t seen previously

3. The community strives for preventing all medical error, not just that which leads to harm

Even though medical error is a pervasive issue, there is optimism that error can be prevented and that we can make that change happen. Among our community 80% believe all or three-quarters of medical error can be prevented. 

4. The patient safety movement needs to carry forth a message to the broader public for why incentivizing best practices leads to better outcomes and system-wide improvements in safety

Our community believes providing incentives to organizations and people that practice good patient safety (51%) is more impactful than holding organizations accountable through punitive action (41%). This is flipped from the general public, where a majority say the better way of reducing harm is holding individual organization and people accountable.