Patient Safety Right Now, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute’s (CPSI) 2018-2023 strategy defines a vision that “Canada has the safest healthcare in the world.” CPSI’s mission is: “to inspire and advance a culture committed to sustained improvement for safer healthcare.”

CPSI develops system-wide strategies to ensure safe healthcare in two ways: by demonstrating what works to improve safe care in Canada, and by strengthening commitment to patient safety priorities among all healthcare stakeholders.

It has, however, become clear that not only are more robust commitments required to advance patient safety in Canada, but health systems need additional evidence and support to complete end-to-end patient safety improvements and to measure and sustain results.

To this end, CPSI drafted the Strengthening Commitment for Improvement Together: A Policy Framework for Patient Safety (Figure 1) to stimulate conversation and action on the following policy levers: legislation, regulations, standards, organizational policies and public engagement.

Figure 1: Policy Framework for Patient Safety in Canada

Moving the needle on patient safety in Canada requires an overall shift in culture, values and expectations at all levels of the health system and the active engagement of various policy actors. CPSI recommends that the Policy Framework be used as a conceptual guide to implement and evaluate the policy levers and to systematically share what we have learned with others.

The next steps in Canada are clear. People in Canada need policies that support patient safety, be it at the level of health care organizations, or by governments. These policies must incorporate patient safety competencies and adhere to accreditation standards that promote safe care.

Whether you are a policy maker, healthcare leader, administrator, provider, or member of the public, you can help us achieve our goal.