New patient safety programme
A new patient safety programme for hospitals, PRIME, has been launched in India by Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD). It was developed by Joint Commission International (JCI) for Patient Safety, with sponsorship by BD.
PRIME ─ Preventing Risks of Infections and Medications Errors in IV Therapy ─ is aimed at addressing two critical challenges in a hospital setting: infection prevention and medication safety. It will see a unique programmatic approach towards patient safety implemented over six months, involving goal setting, progress review, teleconsultations with experts and scientific updates through webinars.
To date, six hospitals in India have signed up for the programme: Belle Vue Clinic, Fortis Hospital Anandapur, Kolkata; Breach Candy, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research Institute, Mumbai; Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences, Trivandrum; Kasturba Hospital, Manipal; Fortis Hospital, Mohali; Max Healthcare, Saket; and Medanta The Medicity-Gurgaon, Delhi/NCR. Upon completion of the programme, hospitals will be certified.
“The preparation and administration of medication is critical to safe, high-quality patient care around the world. At JCI, we recognise a fundamental need on this topic, and the unique PRIME programme addresses that need. Leading experts from Joint Commission International with the support of BD have created a practical curriculum that will bring critical skills to life,” said Dr Marwa J Zohdy, Vice-President, Global Consulting Services, Joint Commission Resources/JCI.
Pavan Mocherla, Managing Director, BD-India and South Asia, also commented on the programme: “Increasingly, healthcare facilities across India are working to upgrade quality standards to achieve a future of better patient outcomes, increased patient safety and cost efficiency in healthcare systems. In this pursuit of quality and safety, BD is pleased to work on enabling the hospitals achieve standardised and compliant care and improve patient outcomes through PRIME. BD will be able to help enhance patient and clinical outcomes by eliminating complications and improving safety for patients and providers leading to accessing better care.”