The international symposium titled: “Together for Patient Safety and Clinical Risk Management across all Ages”, was organised by the Department of Health Systems Management and Leadership (HSML), Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Malta, in collaboration with the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Team (PaSQiT), Mater Dei Hospital, Malta, and sponsored by Exigy Ltd.
This symposium celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of participants from the PG Cert Patient Safety and Clinical Risk Management and the graduation of MSc students in HSML. The symposium was addressed by Prof. Carmen Sammut Pro-Rector for Student, Staff Affairs and Outreach, Dr Stephen Lungaro Mifsud, Dean, Faculty of Health Science and Prof. Sandra Buttigieg, Head, Department Health Systems Management & Leadership, Faculty of Health Science, and Chair of the Organising Committee, University of Malta.
The event brought together in a panel discussion, leaders of the national health and social care entities and service providers from the public, private and PPP sectors. They presented patient safety and clinical risk management initiatives in their organisations, as well as avenues for closer collaboration and synergy.
The symposium hosted an array of international speakers from collaborating organisations. Dr João Breda, Head of Athens Quality of Care Office and Special Adviser to the Regional Director, WHO Greece gave a presentation about the Quality of Care and Patient Safety in the WHO European Region. Prof. José Joaquin Mira, Chairperson of COST Action CA 19113 The European Researchers’ Network Working on Second Victims (ERNST) described the work and the initiatives towards an open dialogue among stakeholders about the second victims’ phenomenon. Second victims are healthcare providers involved in an unexpected adverse event, medical error or injury affecting a patient, who become victims in the sense they are traumatised by it. The role of digitisation and digitalisation was a key topic.
Prof. Dr Dr Wilfried von Eiff, from HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, explained ‘How can digitalisation give support for achieving better and more safe medical services?’ with concrete examples of ongoing projects in Germany. Assoc. Prof. Dr Ing. Jana Hola, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pardubice, Czechia described the Competency model and its benefits for patient safety and how this is implemented using a digital application.