Ensuring patient safety

An in-house liaison officer, a healthcare professional, has been appointed for each healthcare vigilance system:

• Haemovigilance is part of the blood transfusion safety system: it deals with monitoring, assessment and prevention of incidents and undesirable effects occurring in donors and recipients of labile blood products.
• Identity vigilance prevents any errors and risks that might arise from incorrect patient identification.
• HAI vigilance uses a system of alerts and reporting to monitor major risks of infection in healthcare establishments in order to prevent any nosocomial transmission. This vigilance contributes to the fight against hospital-acquired infections and the emergence and dissemination of multi-resistant bacteria. It forms part of the safety and quality measures regarding treatments given to patients.
• Medical devices vigilance aims to avoid the occurrence and recurrence of incidents and risks of serious incidents (as defined in Article L.5242-2 of the French Public Health Code) involving medical devices by taking appropriate preventive and/or corrective measures.
• Pharmacovigilance is the process of monitoring the safety and preventing the risk of undesirable effects of medicines, whether the risk is potential or proven.

For more information about health vigilance systems, click here.

These vigilance liaison officers are members of the Vigilance and Risk Management Committee (COVIRIS) and they are tasked with defining priorities for risk management and coordinating the various resources involved in risk prevention and management.

Other bodies also participate in this risk management policy, such as the radiotherapy and drug circuit feedback unit (CREX), the mortality and morbidity review (RMM) and the patient identity vigilance unit (CIV).