In collaboration with The American Institute for Healthcare Quality (AIHQ), the Society of Healthcare Academicians, Oklahoma University Health Science Center, Turkish Standardization Institute, TÜRKAK, European Society for Quality in Health Care, Turkish Quality Society, invite abstract proposals for presentations at the Fourth Annual International Conference on Healthcare Quality, Accreditation and Patient Safety. This is being planned for Antalya, Turkey from 24-27 February 2010.

 

The CDC estimates that up to one-third of infections acquired in health care settings are preventable. From relatively minor urinary tract infections to life-threatening infections of the bloodstream and pneumonia, hospital-acquired infections vary in gravity. The CDC reports that hospital infections cost the American public nearly $5 billion in healthcare costs each year. The extra costs are the result of the additional days - or weeks – patients are required to stay in the hospital to treat the new infection. While the precise causes are difficult to pinpoint, some hospital-acquired infections can be attributed to human error, such as failure to properly sterilize or disinfect objects coming into contact with a patient or properly isolate a susceptible patient from potential carriers.

 

It is true that we have come a long way towards health care improvements. Countries around the world are increasingly using the same language of quality and subscribe to the same objectives for healthcare quality and safety. However, the current phase of improvement is faced with a considerable challenge. Recent and new reports on health systems performance point to considerable challenges for improvements especially in efficiency, clinical outcomes, patient safety, healthcare associated infections, and reduction of healthcare errors.