One-of-a-Kind Resource to Prevent Pediatric Harm

Caring for children in a clinical setting comes with unique challenges. Pediatric patients have smaller bodies and growing organs, making them more vulnerable to medication errors and treatment complications. Newborns and infants have weaker immune systems, increasing their susceptibility to infections. And many serious conditions present differently in children, sometimes resembling mild illnesses, which can delay diagnosis and treatment.

All of these factors make children more susceptible to safety events. While medical professionals work tirelessly to keep kids safe, preventing harm is a persistent challenge and new risks constantly emerge.

That’s why the Child Health Patient Safety Organization® (PSO) created the Safety Watch, a practical resource for health care organizations and clinicians who care for children. The Safety Watch is designed to help pediatric providers in any setting identify safety risks before they occur and take action to protect their patients.

"We know children receive care in all different health care settings,” said Emily Tooley, director of the Child Health PSO. “By consistently and promptly sharing pediatric safety signals from our analysis, we are equipping our entire health care system to safely care for children."

The insights in the Safety Watch are derived from collaborations and convenings of nearly 60 PSO member hospitals, along with the latest research. This one-of-a-kind pediatric resource identifies:

• Immediate safety threats currently affecting children’s hospitals.
• Emerging concerns due to evolving circumstances, technology, or knowledge.
• Ongoing risks appearing in new ways or increasing in frequency.

The Safety Watch also equips health care organizations with specific actions they can take to keep kids safe. Shared data among PSO members allows children’s hospitals to see the causes of safety events and prevent harm likely to repeat.

"Our data gives us insight into precursor events to understand where harm is coming from," Tooley said. “That knowledge allows hospitals to address the root issues and create effective safety processes.”

Focusing on children first 

The Child Health PSO is dedicated to one thing: stopping pediatric harm before it happens. Unlike most safety organizations, the Child Health PSO focuses exclusively on children’s hospitals and pediatric care. Its hospitals share safety data in a federally protected space, allowing them to collaborate without legal risk. This means hospitals can learn from real-world safety events and develop best practices to prevent similar incidents.

Because we learn together, children are spared preventable harm.

Protecting every child

Preventing harm requires collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to continuous improvement. The Child Health PSO and its nearly 60 member hospitals are dedicated to making pediatric care safer through shared learning and proactive solutions.

With the launch of the Safety Watch, we hope to further strengthen our shared mission of protecting every child. By staying informed and taking proactive steps, pediatric health care professionals and hospitals can move another step closer to eliminating preventable harm.

View the Safety Watch.