Organised by the EUPSF
in collaboration with:
✔ SIMULTANEOUS TRANSLATION
English / Spanish simultaneous translation will be available for all lectures taking place in the main plenary room “Pequeño Anfiteatro”
✔ COMPLIANT with ethical standards of MedTech Europe
With reference EMT40566 the 2024 Patient Safety Conference taking place on 08-11-2024 in Madrid, Spain
is COMPLIANT following the Ethical MedTech assessment
✔ COMPLIANT with ethical standards of Federación Española de Empresas de Tecnología Sanitaria (Fenin)
The compatibility of this event with the Code of Ethics of the Healthcare Technology Industry has been assessed prior to the event, based on the information provided through this website, and affects its previous organisational elements.
PHOTOREPORT
How was this year’s EUPSC 2024?
We thank the collaborating organisations, sponsors and participants who have joined us in making the 2024 Patient Safety Conference such a successful event. Our collective commitment and contributions mean that we all value what our conference stands for – fostering collaboration between patient safety stakeholders, disseminating innovative practices and accelerating their implementation. We are honoured to have welcomed you all in Madrid.
THIS YEAR THEME
Enhancing Patient Safety through Digital Innovation: The Missing Links
At a time when the potential of technological innovation to improve patient safety and patient outcomes is increasingly undeniable, tangible results are still a long way off. What are the missing links that prevent the vision of breakthrough digital solutions from translating into genuine improvements in patient safety and outcomes? How can we engage medical teams suffering from staff shortages, undermined by chronic fatigue and overwhelmed by the growing demand for care, to implement changes and redesign their working habits?
Lectures
Room: Main session room
- Rethinking Patient Safety
- Healthcare Worker Wellbeing And Safety
- Safe Home-Based Care
- Leadership
- Data And Patient Safety
- Training And Simulation
- Humanity In Care
- Sustainability
- Patient Blood Management
- Fighting Fatigue Together
Evolving roles and responsibilities in a changing healthcare landscape
Innovation as a pillar of patient safety: Advancing safer care and a resilient healthcare workforce in Europe
Innovation has the potential to improve patient outcomes and support healthcare workforce resilience. This session explores
how technologies such as AI and real-time data tools can contribute to safer care and better decision-making-when safety is
prioritised in their design. It will also examine how access to innovation can influence job satisfaction and professional
engagement, and how system-wide collaboration may help address disparities across healthcare systems.
Key Questions:
- How can innovation contribute to both patient safety and workforce resilience?
- What are the risks of unequal access to innovation for patients and professionals?
- How can system-level investment and collaboration ensure safety-focused innovation benefits all?
Suggested Speakers:
- Healthcare policymakers shaping innovation and policies impacting healthcare at the European level
- Hospital executives and patient safety o<icers implementing safety-driven innovations
- Medical professionals involved in research and clinical innovation
- Science / Academia representative
- Patient representatives ensuring that innovation remains focused on safety and quality of care
- Industry leaders developing AI, decision support tools, and digital health technologies
Training for safe home-based care: Preparing healthcare professionals, patients, and families
The shift toward home-based care, supported by intelligent monitoring and wearables, is transforming patient safety
dynamics. While these innovations enable earlier discharge and decentralised care, they also introduce new safety risks that
require enhanced coordination between hospitals, primary care, and families. Ensuring patient safety in this model depends
on proper training—not just for healthcare professionals, but also for patients and caregivers who are taking on expanded
responsibilities.
Key Questions:
- How can we equip healthcare professionals with the skills to manage patient safety in home-based care models?
- What kind of training do patients and caregivers need to ensure safe and e<ective self-management?
- What role does technology play in bridging gaps in knowledge and coordination?
Suggested Speakers:
- Digital health training experts
- Home-care providers
- Patient organisations
- Technology developers: Medtronic, EUPSF A<iliate
Patient safety as a strategic priority in healthcare governance
Many hospitals struggle to integrate patient safety at the same level as financial stability, workforce retention, cybersecurity, and sustainability. Can AI help shift patient safety from methodologies that are mainly reactive to proactive, system-level strategies? Can a learning healthcare system, powered by data, make safety a strategic asset?
This session explores how leadership can combine safety goals with broader organisational priorities.
Key Questions:
- What prevents patient safety from becoming a system-wide strategic goal?
- Can AI and data systems help anticipate and prevent safety incidents?
- How do safety goals intersect with financial and organisational pressures?
Suggested Speakers:
- Hospital executives
- Patient safety o<icers
- Policymakers
- AI and digital health experts
The risks and potential of data-driven healthcare
Digital health, AI, and electronic health records o<er both risks and opportunities. While data security and interoperability are essential, there’s growing potential for using data to anticipate risks, tailor care, and inform system-wide learning. However, concerns about privacy and data ownership remain crucial.
Key Questions:
- What safeguards are needed for secure, ethical use of patient data?
- How can patient data be used to improve safety and personalise care?
- Who owns patient data, and how should access and control be managed?
Suggested Speakers:
- Hospital leadership
- Clinicians using data insights
- Representatives from research bodies and patient organisations
- Legal and cybersecurity experts
Simulation for teamwork and inclusion: Addressing communication gaps in diverse teams
Simulation is a powerful tool for developing teamwork and managing risk, particularly in multilingual and multicultural healthcare settings. This session focuses on how simulation can address communication and cultural barriers and support gender-sensitive training for safer, more inclusive care.
Key Questions:
- How can simulation training address challenges in multicultural, multilingual teams?
- What role does gender play in shaping patient safety behaviours?
Suggested Speakers:
- Simulation educators
- Gender and healthcare researchers
- Nurse representative
- Intercultural trainers
- Clinical team leaders
Keeping the human at the centre: ReaRirming empathy and participation in the digital age
In digitalised healthcare systems, AI and support tools must enhance, not replace, human judgement and relationships.
This session explores how to maintain empathy, shared decision-making, and human connection as central elements in safe care. It considers both the perspectives of healthcare professionals and of patients, emphasising the importance of meaningful engagement, trust, and the preservation of human values in increasingly digital environments.
Key Questions:
- How do we protect empathy, judgement, and clinical autonomy in digital systems?
- What risks emerge when technology overrides human interaction?
- How can patients contribute to the safety of their own care without being objectified?
Suggested Speakers:
- Clinicians
- Ethicists
- Patient advocates
- Developers of AI tools for care support
Sustainability and patient safety: Finding the synergies
Environmental and patient safety goals are often addressed separately—but are there synergies? This workshop explores
whether greener care delivery models, eco-conscious design, and e<icient resource use can also improve safety and reduce harm.
Key Questions:
- Can sustainability initiatives directly contribute to better patient safety?
- How can we evaluate both environmental and safety outcomes together?
- What policies or practices support alignment between these goals?
WHO Guidance on implementing patient blood management to improve global blood health status
The impact of staR fatigue on patient safety – report from the Health Services Safety Investigation Body (HSSIB) UK
Suggested Speakers:
- TBC
- Health Services Safety Investigation Body (HSSIB)
Workshops
Towards a European Patient Safety Strategy
This workshop explores the need for a coordinated EU-wide approach to patient safety. Stakeholders will discuss existing
disparities, opportunities for synergy, and practical steps towards a more harmonised framework.
Key Questions:
- What would be the benefits of developing a European patient safety strategy?
- How can we respect national di<erences while promoting shared goals?
- Who should lead and sustain this initiative at the European level?
Supporting Healthcare Professionals After Adverse Events: Advancing Second Victim Awareness and Certification
The Second Victim Phenomenon is increasingly recognised as a major patient safety and healthcare workforce wellbeingchallenge. This workshop will present the current state of knowledge, explore the outcomes of the BIAPS 2024 award-winning project, and discuss the next steps towards certification and structured support systems.
Key Questions:
- How can healthcare organisations better identify and support second victims?
- What lessons have been learned from recent research and pilot programmes?
- What standards and certifications could help systematise e<ective second victim support?
Strengthening Incident Reporting Systems in a Transforming Healthcare Environment
Incident reporting remains central to patient safety but needs adaptation. This workshop discusses how to revitalise reporting systems to support learning, include digital and home-based care, and maintain a just culture across settings.
Key Questions:
- How do we increase reporting without increasing blame?
- How can incident reporting evolve to include digital and home-based care?
- How can these systems better inform proactive safety management?
Rethinking pre-operative fasting practices
Prolonged fasting before surgery is increasingly questioned by emerging evidence. This workshop will explore current recommendations, discuss physiological impacts on recovery, and propose updated practices that balance safety with patient wellbeing.
Key Questions:
- What does the latest evidence say about fasting duration and outcomes?
- How can we update practices while maintaining safety?
- What are the barriers to implementing new fasting routines in clinical settings?
Patient Blood Management (PBM): A transversal patient safety challenge
Blood management spans multiple safety-critical steps—from donation to storage, administration, and documentation.
This workshop will review systemic risks and good practices to secure patient safety across this lifecycle.
Key Questions:
- What are the weak points in blood use and management from a safety perspective?
- How can hospitals coordinate across departments to ensure secure blood handling?
- What role does communication and technology play in reducing transfusion errors?
Elevating nursing leadership in Patient Safety: Priorities, needs, and opportunities
Nurses play a critical role in ensuring patient safety, yet their potential is often under-recognised and under-supported. This workshop, led by the ESNO Patient Safety Committee, will explore the insights gathered from specialist nurses across Europe and discuss what is needed to strengthen nursing leadership in safety initiatives. Participants will reflect on the barriers nurses face, the support they require, and how their frontline experience can shape stronger safety systems at every level.
Key Questions:
- What patient safety priorities are emerging from specialist nursing practice?
- What support, resources, and conditions are needed for nurses to lead safety improvements?
- How can nursing expertise be better integrated into national and European patient safety strategies?
Fighting Fatigue Together: Addressing Fatigue to Protect StaR Wellbeing and Patient Safety
Fatigue is a major but often underestimated risk in healthcare, impacting both sta< wellbeing and patient safety. This workshop will provide an update on the Fighting Fatigue Together campaign, share insights from the growing European
network, and explore how healthcare systems can move from accepting fatigue as part of everyday practice to recognising it as a risk that must be managed, and ultimately prevented.
Drawing lessons from other high-risk industries, speakers will propose strategies for recognising fatigue as a systemic risk and integrating prevention measures into organisational practices.
Participants will be invited to discuss key priorities and potential actions to create safer, healthier working environmentsfor healthcare professionals.
VENUES
Each year in a different country
To drive a change for the better quality of care, we need to take into account the realities and cultural diversity of European healthcare environments. This is why the EUPSF Patient Safety Conferences, held annually in different countries, support and promote the work of local and national partners actively engaged in patient safety, to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and good practice within the network and to contribute to a coordinated improvement in patient safety and quality of care across Europe.
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2022 Stockholm
Sweden
2023 Vienna
Austria
2024 Madrid
Spain
THIS YEAR VENUE
Welcome to Madrid
Welcome to Madrid, a city renowned for its vibrant energy, rich cultural heritage, and dynamic medical community. With one of Europe’s best healthcare systems and a modern transport network, Madrid is a hub for innovation and business, home to esteemed educational institutions and thriving start-ups. Join us in this dynamic city for our Patient Safety Conference, where tradition meets innovation.
Conference
REGISTRATION PROCESS
We are excited to invite you to join us for the upcoming Patient Safety Conference in Madrid.
Secure your spot as places are limited.
Registration is now open for all delegates.
EUPSF Affiliates wishing to participate need simply contact the EUPSF Secretariat and all registration instructions will be provided.
40% discount
Experience a full day filled with knowledge, inspiration and networking opportunities.
Please note that the registration fees are quoted exclusive of VAT (21%).
Join our conference and make your voice heard!
“Patient representative fee” is meant for all persons working for or official representatives of not-for profit organisations which are patient focused, and whereby patients and/or carers (the latter when patients are unable to represent themselves) represent a majority of members in governing bodies.
Please note that the hospital representatives or healthcare professionals employed by a hospital are not eligible for this fee.
Please note that the registration fees are quoted exclusive of VAT (21%).
GET READY
READING TIPS
You will find in this sessions topics that will be discussed at the conference thanks to insightful articles that will be regularly posted online.
Until we are ready, you can also consult the 2023 and 2022 conference articles in this section.
Subscribe to our EUPSF Newsletter to get the latest information about patient safety in Europe.
Enhancing Patient Safety through Digital Innovation: The Missing Links
Boulanger S, Cikkelova M, Macias Maroto M, et al. Enhancing patient safety through digital innovation:…
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PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
CONFERENCE PARTNERS
CONFERENCE PROMOTERS
CONFERENCE SUPPORTER
We offer a variety of sponsorship opportunities. If you’re interested in supporting EUPSF 2024 Patient Safety Conference, please contact us at secretariat@eupsf.org for more information.
MEDIA PARTNERS
TESTIMONIALS
What People Say?
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