After Hours Urgent Care Clinic and International Patient Safety Day
Patients visit doctors to get well. However, innumerable patients around the world every day are exposed to unnecessary risk of further illness or injury while obtaining health care. International Patient Safety Day, endorsed by World Health Assembly, is organized to encourage global action by all countries to improve patient safety.
The first International/World Patient Safety Day was organized in 2019 on September 17 with the theme of addressing safety of patients and prioritizing this issue.
Doctors at after hours urgent care welcome this resolution of highlighting patient safety. After hours clinics are known to provide immediate medical care to patients. They believe that no patient should be left waiting in pain. The idea is to minimize the suffering of the patient and provide a safe environment where they can avail themselves quality treatment.
The theme of this year is:
Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety.
This is in wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, which has thrown light on the vast challenges health care workers face around the world.
This year, the focus is on the doctors who are at risk of contracting the deadly Covid-19 infection while treating patients.
There have also been reports of violence against doctors and stigma in case of doctors attending to Covid-19 patients. Moreover, doctors during the pandemic are working under high stress. This increases risk to their mental and physical health.
Highly stressed doctors are more likely to make errors in diagnosis and treatment. This leads to patient harm.
So, in a way, doctor/health care provider safety is related to patient safety.
While it is important to ensure patient safety during consulting, testing, and treatment, it is also important to ensure doctor safety when they are attending to the patients.
After hours urgent care clinics contribute to patient and doctor safety by providing hygienic and healthy environment for everybody. All doctors and the staff wear appropriate protective gear and face masks. Patients, too, are mandated to enter the clinic wearing face mask. Proper sanitization is done at all levels.
Apart from this, the clinics are known for their limited rush. This gives patients less waiting time. Also, the doctors can attend to the patients without getting stressed out. Efficiency in every step of providing health care also plays a role in easing out stress, miscommunication, and likelihood of committing errors.
World Patient Day 2020 campaign by WHO
WHO intends to launch a global campaign on September 17, 2020, to emphasize that health worker safety is vital for patient safety. The aim is to encourage countries to make health care safer for both health care providers and receivers.
It is proposed to light up public places, landmarks, and monuments in orange color to show gratitude and respect to all health care workers of the world. Wondering, “is there a safe after hours clinic near me?” Yes, there is; just a block away from Pentagon City Metro. They are open all days of the week and cater to every patient needing urgent medical care.
