Windows into Safety and Quality in Health Care – National Report 2008

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care reports annually on the state of healthcare safety and quality in Australia.

The Windows into Safety and Quality in Health Care 2008 provides windows onto a range of safety and quality issues. It offers safety and quality insights in a number of settings and from various perspectives.

Chapters in this report include:

• Healthcare Rights: Will patients’ rights be respected?
• Patient Identification: Will patients be correctly identified?
• Medication Safety: Will adverse drug events be reduced?
• Handover: How is patient care transferred safely?
• Healthcare Associated Infections: Can healthcare associated infections be prevented?
• Open Disclosure: Will patients be told about things that go wrong in their health care?
• Accreditation: What does accreditation of a health service mean for patient care?
• Sentinel Event Reporting: What role can reporting serious adverse events play in improving the safety and quality of health care?
• Information Strategy: What else do we need to know about the safety and quality of patient care?