Promotion of Patient Safety

It has been 20 years since patient safety in Japan was put in place after a patient mix-up accident at a university hospital in 1999. Based on the formulation of patient safety policies, system development and patient safety activities have been carried out at medical sites across the country. However, despite such on-site efforts, medical accidents continue. In 2016, several serious medical incidents occurred at special function hospitals, and in response to this outbreak, the requirements for patient safety systems at advanced treatment hospitals were significantly revised. This paper reports on the impact and prospects of patient safety, and the “Promotion of patient safety” for medical professionals, patients, and medical students through patient safety education.