WHO/Europe launches the 2nd WHO Autumn School on Quality of Care and Patient Safety

7–11 October 2024 (Lisbon, Portugal)

Building on the success of the first-ever WHO/Europe Autumn School on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in 2023, the WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens, Greece, is launching the second edition to further develop knowledge and expertise in this field.

Co-organized with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Education, Research, and Evaluation of Safety and Quality in Healthcare at the NOVA National School of Public Health, this year’s course will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 7 to 11 October 2024.

About the course

Inspired by the WHO European Programme of Work, 2020–2025, and the WHO Regional Director for Europe’s vision of leaving no one behind, WHO/Europe identified the need to support countries in their efforts to achieve universal health coverage, guaranteeing access to high-quality health services.

This course offers participants a chance to deepen their understanding of the complex dimensions and best practices in the field of quality of care and patient safety through engaging panel discussions, interactive lectures and collaborative workshops. In addition to the sessions, participants will engage in a daily group activity on quality-of-care policy design.

During this 1-week course, WHO representatives, key health decision-makers and global experts will come together to provide experience in policy development for quality improvement and patient safety through collaborative small-group exercises.

Why a course on quality of care and patient safety

Quality of care and patient safety are essential for accessible, equitable and patient-centred health care, forming the foundation of effective health systems and universal health coverage. Quality-of-care interventions improve health outcomes, ensure evidence-based care, and prevent medical errors while enhancing system resilience and efficiency through digital tools and innovation.

Yet, a well designed system alone is not enough; training for professionals, managers and policy-makers is vital to developing a data-driven culture of continuous improvement. This course fosters future training and collaborative networks on quality of care and patient safety focusing on:

• foundations of quality of care
• governance and measurements in the field of quality of care and patient safety
• policy and innovation, including digital solutions
• patient safety and health system resilience
• patient centredness and experience.

Upon completing this course, health-care professionals, managers and policy-makers will be equipped to better protect individual health and address health-care needs equitably, leaving no one behind.