This website is a national e-Library on patient safety in Finland and includes information, tools, reports, best practices, innovation paths etc. The site is maintained by the National Institute for Welfare and Health (THL), a public agency under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The site is part of the activities of the National Programme Patient Safety with Skills.
Read more about THL in English

The National Strategy defines the new approach 

Since 2007 extensive development work has taken place at national level to enhance patient safety with a modern approach. A steering group with several working groups developed the first national strategy on patient safety published in 2009. It defined the main pillars of the modern approach on patient safety and provided goals and visions. Several practical guidelines accompanied the strategy. Prior to the strategy document some hospitals in Finland had engaged in systematic patient safety work. The strategy expanded the development to some other areas of the country.

Recent legislation gives a push  

The strategy was central in inclusion of patient safety as a part in the National Health Care law in 2010, enacted in May 2011. On patient safety, the law includes an order for all public health care institutions (hospitals and primary health care centres) to develop a plan for patient safety enhancement based on international approach on patient safety work. The plan is to describe the system, processes, resources and persons in charge for patient safety within the institution. The plan is to be developed in co-operation with social services.

The law was followed by a specific decree including detailed instructions on the minimum contents in a patient safety plan. Taking the important role of steering through legislation in Finland, the new legislation is likely to enhance expansion of the modern patient safety in the country.

National Programme to assist, support and serve 

THL was given the role of supporting health care institutions in developing or strengthening their patient safety work based on the national strategy.  In Fall 2011, a national programme kicked off and is planned to continue until the end of 2015. The core of the programme is the public health care institutions and their staff throughout the country.

Collaboration takes place through a number of networks including patient safety officers in the 20 central hospitals and the network being built with primary health care institutions. The key national institutions, health workers unions and professional organizations as well as patient organizations and education institutions have joined in with commitment and joint actions.

Challenging goal and aim

The Programme has an overall goal to halve the mortality on health care related adverse events by 2020. The estimated deaths are 700- 1 700 annually based on information in other similar countries. Naturally, the goal is a long-term target and cannot even be followed at present due to lack of reliable data bases.

The aim of the Programme is to be achieved, and the progress towards it followed closely.

The working environment of all workers in health care will be conducive for sufficiently resourced, open and transparent patient safety work and based on learning and prevention of adverse events.

For different health care services and operations, there are high-quality and appropriate instruments to enhance patient safety. These are such as information and knowledge, peer experiences and views, good practices and practical tools.

Actions of the Programme

The Programme consists of several parts and approaches aiming to make an impact on

1. actions of health workers as well as directors and managers as well as on
2. attitudes and traditional norms within health care institutions. Empowering and involvement of patients is a key approach.

The Programme will:

• Advocate and support  the key role of directors and managers in enhancing patient safety
• Run several campaigns, mainly targeted to health workers
• Support health care institutions to develop patient safety plans and procedures as directed in the new law
• Include comprehensive patient safety in the pre- , post- and continuing education of health professionals
• Offer a web-based training programme on patient safety to all 140 000 health workers in Finland in co-operation with the health care institutions 
• Gather, apply and disseminate tools and enhance local and practical innovations for patient safety work
• Promote operations research in patient safety

Further information

Ritva Salmi
Director of Programme
ritva.salmi@thl.fi
Tel. +358 29 524 7605