Whether it’s an infection, a fall or some other unintended outcome, hospital harm remains a serious concern. It's something the Canadian Institute for Health Information tracks, with the latest report showing one in 17 hospital stays in Canada is linked with some sort of patient harm.

That’s more than just a number. It represents a real person whose recovery may have taken an unexpected turn.

The data also shows rates have stayed relatively stable since the pandemic, but are still higher than they were before COVID-19.

So, what’s putting patients at risk and, more importantly, what can hospitals do to stop harm before it happens?

In this episode of the Canadian Health Information Podcast, host Avis Favaro speaks with Jennifer Zelmer, President and CEO of Healthcare Excellence Canada, and Dr. Tiffany Blair, of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, about what’s behind patient safety challenges in Canadian hospitals — and the opportunities to make care safer.

They discuss the impact of mounting pressure on the health system, including workforce strain and staff turnover, and how these challenges can affect the continuity and safety of care.

The good news is that CIHI data also offers a roadmap for improvement because safer care is about spotting the warning signs, learning from the evidence and building systems that make things go right in the first place.

The conversation spotlights the Hospital Harm Improvement Resource, developed by Healthcare Excellence Canada in partnership with CIHI, and how it can help health care organizations turn evidence into action to reduce preventable harm.

As Zelmer puts it, “Hospitals right across the country are using these data and the opportunities to improve, and they use it in different ways.”

Because improving patient safety isn’t just about responding when something goes wrong. It’s about designing care to make harm less likely in the first place.

This episode is available in English only.

Episode transcripts can be found on our podcast web page.

Learn more about the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

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