Patient safety as a global health priority

Abstract

Patient safety is a discipline that has arisen in response to the increasing complexity of health care delivery and the associated increase in patient harm. Adverse health care events are a serious problem, causing significant harm to the patient and increasing health care costs. The World Health Organization has identified patient safety as one of the key priorities for world health. The current review presents the historical background that led to the formation of the discipline of patient safety, the determinants of adverse events in medical practice, and the main tools for dealing with them.