Patient Safety and Clinical Quality in Pediatrics

Healthcare is a risky industry- ten percent of patients suffer harm when they utilize healthcare services. The pediatric age group is not spared from this; and reports demonstrate potentially higher rates of errors than in adults. This is particularly important because children are a vulnerable population and may suffer lifelong effects of medical harm. This may consist of psychological, physical, and quality of life morbidity that will pose a long-term burden to the family and the healthcare system. Some questions that we wish to be address within this Research Topic are:

• What is unique about the pediatric population that puts them at increased risk for medical harm?
• What are best practices to prevent safety events from happening?
• How can we improve the quality of care delivered to children?
• How do these improvements fall in line with the quadruple aim from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement?
• To what extent organizations have included the voices of children and parents on what matters to them in improving quality and safety?

These are important pressing issues to be addressed and more importantly to promote learning and sharing in the areas of quality and safety for children worldwide.

We would like to acknowledge Associate Professor Yoke Hwee Chan and Ms. Nguk Lan Pang, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore have acted as coordinator and have contributed to the preparation of the proposal for this Research Topic.