Patient Safety in Korea: Growth and Challenge

Purpose: Ten years after the enactment of the Patient Safety Act, the First and Second Comprehensive Patient Safety Plans and the World Health Organization (WHO)'s recent patient safety initiatives are calling for expansion in patient safety in Korea. A shared understanding of the current status of patient safety will ensure robust and consistent future planning.Methods: This study examined Korea's patient safety status from three perspectives: past, present, and future. First, we examined the implementation status of the 13 patient safety tasks proposed in 2011 as of 2024. Second, to assess Korea's international standing, we reviewed Korea's implementation of the WHO's global patient safety indicators. Finally, we compared the Second Comprehensive Patient Safety Plan with the WHO's Global Patient Safety Action Plan (GPSAP) 2021-2030 to identify areas for improvement.Results: Of the 13 core initiatives proposed in 2011, 10 were implemented to varying degrees by 2024. Of the 10 WHO core patient safety indicators, Korea fully met five, partially met three, and has not yet implemented 'national target set for reduction in medication-related harm' and 'patient representatives appointed to governing boards in hospitals.’ Improvements identified in the Second Comprehensive Patient Safety Plan included the GPSAP's regular review system, objective quantitative indicators, and active use of the Patient Safety Network.Conclusion: Since the enactment of the Patient Safety Act in 2015, patient safety activities have been actively promoted in Korea and significant progress has been made over the past decade. To further advance patient safety in Korea, a patient safety action plan must be established to address challenging tasks, actively utilize patient safety collaboration networks from the outset, and evaluate patient safety activities through a balanced perspective and objective indicators.