Qatar unveils national patient safety classification framework
Health ministry says unified system aims to improve care quality, strengthen learning culture and reduce medical risks nationwide
DOHA, Qatar (MNTV) — Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health has launched a new national patient safety classification system as part of its efforts to enhance healthcare quality and strengthen patient safety across the country.
In a statement, the ministry said the Qatar Patient Safety Classification provides a unified national framework for categorizing and analyzing patient safety data and clinical practice excellence across all healthcare facilities.
The system introduces shared concepts designed to promote learning from both safety incidents and examples of high-quality clinical practice.
The classification forms the scientific backbone of the National Learning System for Patient Safety Events and Practice Excellence, known as NLS-PSEP.
According to the ministry, it will help standardize health data, enable stronger national-level analysis and support continuous improvement throughout the healthcare system.
The ministry said the framework aligns with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Health Strategy 2024–2030, and applies to public, semi-governmental and private healthcare providers.
It is intended for use by healthcare professionals, patient safety and quality teams, risk management units, regulators and health sector decision-makers.
Dr. Eman Radwan, acting director of the ministry’s Healthcare Quality Department, described the launch as a major milestone in advancing healthcare quality and embedding a system-wide culture of safety.
She said the classification was developed by a national team bringing together experts from both the public and private sectors through a collaborative and integrated approach.
According to the ministry, the framework aims to standardize patient safety terminology, strengthen national learning, reduce repeat incidents, improve risk management and support evidence-based decision-making. It is also expected to enhance transparency and boost public confidence in healthcare services.
The ministry noted that the classification is among the first in the region to combine learning from patient safety events and practice excellence within a single framework.
It supports digital transformation through the creation of an intelligent national patient safety database and reflects a participatory national approach to long-term healthcare quality improvement.
The system includes more than 25 main categories of patient safety incidents, such as medication-related events, patient falls, infection prevention and control issues, surgical incidents and procedure-related complications.
The classification is structured around four interconnected levels integrated with digital reporting systems. These cover the type of incident or excellence in practice, the severity and impact on patients and organizations, contributory factors and root causes, and corrective and preventive actions along with their effectiveness.
The ministry said the framework is designed to support interoperability through application programming interfaces.
The ministry said the classification underwent several stages before launch, beginning with development based on international best practices and refinement through multidisciplinary workshops.
It was then implemented within the national learning system with training and technical support, followed by a sustainability phase under a governance mechanism to ensure regular updates in line with national and regional developments.
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