New WHO report highlights links between quality of health care and life expectancy, likelihood of death from NCDs and avoidable patient harm

For the first time ever, WHO/Europe has conducted a region-wide assessment of the quality of health care and patient safety in each of the 53 Member States in the WHO European Region. The new findings, published in a report unveiled today, underscore the important link between quality of health care on the one hand and life expectancy, likelihood of death due to non-communicable diseases and overall patient harm on the other.

The report, "Taking the pulse of quality of care and patient safety in the WHO European Region", further shows that only 1 in 3 countries in the Region have implemented a national action plan on quality of care and/or patient safety, which WHO determines to be a key indicator of whether a country is able to provide good quality of care to its patients.

The report warns that this is important because, "For every additional national action plan or policy used, healthy life expectancy at birth increases by 0.57 years while the probability of dying from selected noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) decreases by 1.34%".

In addition, estimates suggest that around 1 in 10 patients across the Region is harmed in health care; as many as 4 in 10 patients are harmed in primary and ambulatory settings; and at least 50% of this harm is avoidable.

Alarmingly, estimates captured in the report show that the difference in healthy life expectancy from NCDs between the best and worst performing countries can be as high as 11 years.

Additional key findings in the report:

• Only 32% of the 53 Member States in the Region have a national plan for quality of care and 30% for patient safety (1 in 3), with serious implications for life expectancy, patient harm and likelihood of death due to NCDs.
• Only 13% of countries (about 1 in 10) in the Region have a mechanism for patient/public representation in national health governance. 
• 2% of the population in the Region reports having experienced a medical mistake when health-care services were received (ranging from 3% to 12.6% across the Region). 
• A positive finding is that about 80% of the countries have implemented a plan to address the dangers of antimicrobial resistance.

WHO call to action

The new report, produced by the WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens, Greece, includes a series of recommendations to support countries in the WHO European Region to improve their quality of care and patient safety standards - ultimately resulting in better health outcomes and higher life expectancy.

Specifically, the report calls for:

• better and more concrete investment in the development of national action plans and policies for quality of care and patient safety, as their presence has been shown to have a significant effect on population health;
• ensuring patient and public representation in national health governance; and
• re-designing models of care around the needs and preferences of patients.

With data showing substantial variation in public spending on health as a percentage of total public spending - ranging from 4.6% to 22.4% - WHO is calling for better investment in robust public budgeting for quality of care to incentivize value in health service delivery.

The report also includes detailed country profiles on the state of quality of care and patient safety for each of the 53 countries in the WHO European Region.

"While the link between quality of care and patient safety on the one hand and health and well-being outcomes on the other may seem obvious, it's important that our report has demonstrated the connection with solid data and evidence that governments and policy-makers can, and should, use to bring about the changes that are urgently needed," said Dr João Breda, Head, WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety. "Strengthening quality of care and patient safety will not only reduce morbidity and save lives, but it will also go a long way in restoring and strengthening public trust in health authorities and health systems - trust that is essential if we are to achieve WHO's ultimate vision of Health for All."