What Are the International Patient Safety Goals (IPSG) and Why Do They Matter?

The International Patient Safety Goals (IPSG) was created by the Joint Commission International (JCI) to address patient safety concerns. These goals are meant to help healthcare organizations reduce medical mistakes and offer better care. In Indonesia, the IPSG supports the efforts of the Ministry of Health to create a safer environment for patients through better practices.

 

Why Are IPSG Important in Healthcare?

The IPSG has been recognized and adopted globally to improve patient safety. Since the country of Indonesia has a very diversified healthcare system, there is an urgent need to standardize the safety practices within the different health facilities, so that healthcare workers can ensure that patients receive safe and quality care.

IPSG adoption is now matched by e-learning platforms that provide scalable, accessible training for healthcare workers. This would mean that the standards on safety practices would be implemented uniformly by all healthcare workers in different healthcare systems regardless of their locations.

 

Goals of IPSG

 

 

1. 1. Identify Patients Correctly: It’s crucial to know who the patient is to avoid mix-ups.
   2. Improve Communication Among Healthcare Providers: Enhancing the communication among healthcare workers to prevent misunderstandings and errors.
   3. Improve the Safety of High-Alert Medications: Increasing safe handling of drugs that can be very dangerous to patients.
   4. Ensure Safe Surgery and Invasive Procedures: Making sure the right operation is done on the right person and part of the body.
   5. Reduce the Risk of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI): Reducing the spread of infections in healthcare settings.
   6. Reduce the Risk of Patient Harm from Falls: Assessing and mitigating the risk of falls to prevent patient injuries.

 

Additional Points to Improve Patient Safety Practices

 

 

Along with the main IPSG, additional practices ensure that patients are safe, namely:

• Pressure ulcer prevention: This is done by checking skin regularly and using special cushions or mattresses to reduce pressure.

• Suicide prevention: This is aimed at identifying warning signs and providing mental health support to patients who may be at risk.

• Improving compliance with safety protocols: This emphasizes adherence to procedures to reduce risks and improve outcomes.

Although these are not specifically provided for in the framework, they align with the core goals and can be integrated into broader quality and safety initiatives to better take care of patients (The Joint Commission, 2020).

 

How Well is IPSG Working?

 

 

The International Patient Safety Goals (IPSG) are very important to enhance patient safety in healthcare environments. Comprehension and implementation of the IPSG ensures care through safety, responsibility, and continuous improvement. A better understanding of the IPSG helps the health practitioners to engage in a variety of critical practices like right identification of the patients, proper communication, and handling drugs. Then, errors decline, and success is reached.

For example, awareness of appropriate patient identification helps to avoid surgical and medication mismatches, but adherence to infection control measures will avoid health-care-associated infections. While integrating IPSG into everyday clinical practices not only benefits patients, who eventually begin to feel trusted and satisfied with the delivery of care, this outcome actually addresses the transformative nature of knowledge toward safety in care.

Knowledge of IPSG has an impact on patient care, as shown by many research studies. Research published in the Indonesia Journal of Chest Critical Emergency Medicine indicated that healthcare workers who are knowledgeable about IPSG commit fewer errors thus ensuring effective care for patients. More to the point, application of IPSG 1, regarding correct identification of patients, reduces wrong cases of identification by 30% (Herikurniawan, 2020).

According to an article in Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, implementation of the hand hygiene recommendations that make up a vast majority of the IPSG would decrease healthcare-associated infections (HAls) by 40% to 70%. However, the compliance rate for healthcare workers around the world typically remains below 40%. Therefore, IPSG is extremely crucial to ensure that such standards are followed to protect patients (Haque, et al., 2020).

A review in BMC Geriatrics established that more than 80% of falls occurred when patients were not being observed, and 25% of those falls resulted in injuries. Hospital programs to prevent falls, such as educating patients, align with the IPSG’s emphasis on safety by significantly reducing fall rates through education and awareness (Heng, et al., 2020).

These examples outline how, subsequently, IPSG would be very useful in making patient care and safety better.

 

IPSG in the Framework of Indonesia

 

 

The global standards of IPSG are integrated into Indonesia’s national healthcare framework through various regulations and government initiatives, such as the following:

• Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia No. 11 of 2017 Concerning Patient Safety: Governs patient safety in healthcare facilities in Indonesia, mandating risk management protocols to ensure safe healthcare practices aligned with IPSG. This regulation serves to standardize patient safety practices across the country, ensuring homogeneity and quality in health service delivery.

• The Patient Safety Rights Charter (Piagam Hak Keselamatan Pasien): Promotes awareness of the patients’ rights in the framework of patient safety, following international human rights norms.

• Health Law No. 17 of 2023: A comprehensive regulation that streamlines healthcare policies in Indonesia, promotes the use of telemedicine, and improves access to healthcare services, particularly in underserved areas. Its provisions include simplifying licensing processes, expanding on permitted hospital activities, and placing a strong attention on healthcare worker safety and infection control measures, making it align with IPSG principles.

  

E-Learning’s Role in IPSG Implementation

 

 

E-learning systems help improve the understanding and application of IPSG in the following ways:

1. 1. Scalable and Accessible Training for Healthcare Workers: E-learning makes it easier for rural health workers to get their essential IPSG training with little or no travel involved.
   2. Standard Learning in Any Healthcare System: E-learning ensures consistent IPSG trainings across different healthcare settings, to maintain high standards of patient safety nationwide.
   3. Interactive and Engaging Learning Modules: The use of multimedia, virtual simulation environments, and interactive features enhance effectiveness and engagement in learning.
   4. Continuous Professional Development and Certification: E-learning platforms offer courses with SKP (Satuan Kredit Profesi), the professional credits required for healthcare professionals in Indonesia to maintain and renew their licenses. These courses support professional development of healthcare workers through continuous learning, while staying up-to-date with IPSG standards and patient safety practices.
   5. Measurable Learning Outcomes: E-learning systems track progress with assessments and performance metrics, ensuring that IPSG principles are effectively applied in clinical settings, improving patient care quality.

 

With Zafyre’s IPSG Course, Start Your Journey to Patient Safety Excellence

Affordable, excellent education for physicians, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals is provided by Zafyre’s IPSG Training. Give yourself the resources you need to improve patient safety, avoid mistakes, and deliver exceptional care in every healthcare environment.

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References

1. 1.  Chagani, H. A. (2018, August 16–17). International patient safety goals and its implementation: A step towards patient safety. 29th International Conference on Pediatric Nursing & Healthcare and 31st World Congress on Advanced Nursing Practice, Madrid, Spain. Advances in Practice Nursing, 3. https://www.hilarispublisher.com/conference-abstracts-files/2573-0347-C4-027-025.pdf
   2. Haque, M., McKimm, J., Sartelli, M., Dhingra, S., Labricciosa, F. M., Islam, S., … Charan, J. (2020). Strategies to prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections: A narrative overview. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 13, 1765–1780. https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S269315
   3. Heng, H., Jazayeri, D., Shaw, L., Kiegaldie, D., Hill, A.-M., & Morris, M. E. (2020). Hospital falls prevention with patient education: A scoping review. BMC Geriatrics, 20(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-01515-w
   4. Herikurniawan, H. (2020). Patient Safety and International Patient Safety Goals (IPSGs) in the Field of Respirology. Indonesia Journal of Chest Critical Emergency Medicine, 7(1), 68-69. https://indonesiajournalchest.com/index.php/IJC/issue/download/160/Patient_Safety_and_International_Patient_Safety_Goals_IPSGS_in_The_Field_of_Respirology
   5. Joint Commission International. (2017). International Patient Safety Goals (IPSGs). https://www.jointcommissioninternational.org/-/media/jci/jci-documents/news-and-support/coronavirus/jci_ipsg_infographic.pdf
   6. Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia. (2017). Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia No. 17 of 2017 Concerning Patient Safety [Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan Republik Indonesia Nomor 11 Tahun 2017 Tentang Keselamatan Pasien]. https://www.kemhan.go.id/itjen/2017/03/13/peraturan-menteri-kesehatan-republik-indonesia-nomor-11-tahun-2017-tentang-keselamatan-pasien.html
   7. Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia. (2023). Health Law No. 17 of 2023 [Undang-Undang Kesehatan Nomor 17 Tahun 2023]. https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Download/314883/UU%20Nomor%2017%20Tahun%202023.pdf
   8. The Joint Commission. (2020). R3 Report Issue 18: National Patient Safety Goal for Suicide Prevention. https://www.jointcommission.org/standards/r3-report/r3-report-issue-18-national-patient-safety-goal-for-suicide-prevention
   9. The Joint Commission. (2022, March). Quick Safety 25: Preventing pressure injuries. https://www.jointcommission.org/resources/news-and-multimedia/newsletters/newsletters/quick-safety/quick-safety-issue-25-preventing-pressure-injuries/preventing-pressure-injuries/