Overview of Challenges Concerning Patient Safety Issues in Malaysia: A Scoping Review

Damage is never the intention in healthcare delivery; unfortunately, it is often the result. To ensure patient safety in healthcare services, concerns must be addressed to tackle issues and potential challenges. Thus, this study aims to examine the current situation and challenges in enhancing patient safety in Malaysia. A review of the published abstracts and articles on the current situation and challenges of patient safety issues in Malaysia was performed using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. In addition, The Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) Annual Reports and Health Plan were reviewed. The "fall" case with 191 cases followed by medication error 86 cases and adverse outcome of clinical procedure 62 cases reported in 2017 was the top incident recorded in Malaysia. The Patient Safety Council Malaysia was established to promote systemic improvement in healthcare safety and quality, which has 13 patient safety goals, and various guidelines have been published, including incidence reporting guidelines, save surgery and save lives, prevention of falls, transcription error, management of suicide risk, hand hygiene protocol, and others. The Malaysia Society for Quality in Health (MSQH) has developed standards and accreditation programs to improve the quality of hospital care; however, they are voluntary. Several challenges were identified, including a lack of resources, patient safety system technology availability, healthcare organizations’ positive safety culture, the culture of punitive organizations, lack of understanding and participation of senior leadership, limited amount of research, and disclosure responsibility. The challenges related to patient safety issues are the gaps that should be addressed and taken positively by healthcare organizations to ensure quality and safer services delivered to patients.

patient safety, challenges, Malaysia, issues, healthcare

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