By: The Capella University Editorial Team with Lisa Kreeger, PhD, RN, Executive Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences  

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Every day, millions of people place their trust in health professionals. Yet the reality is sobering: unsafe care harms roughly one in ten patients worldwide and contributes to more than three million deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).  

Preventing avoidable harm is more than a regulatory requirement – it’s a promise that builds public trust. When medical errors go unaddressed, patients face longer recoveries, higher costs and growing doubt in a health system designed to heal. Organizations that prioritize safety, on the other hand, tend to see better outcomes, reduced liability and stronger confidence from the communities they serve. 

We’re taking a closer look at how patient safety and quality of care principles connect and why they’re essential to modern, safer healthcare. 

Understanding patient safety and the core principles of quality care

Patient safety refers to coordinated efforts to prevent errors and harm during the delivery of health services. As the WHO notes, adverse events remain widespread, yet more than half are preventable. When preventable patient harm is reduced: 

• Clinical outcomes improve
• Costs decline
• Trust grows

A single lapse, however, can ripple across an organization, affecting reputation, legal risk and community confidence. That’s why a strong focus on safety serves as the foundation for high-quality care – and better results for everyone involved. 

The core principles of quality care

High-performing health systems are built on six principles that help define what quality truly means. Applying each one turns best intentions into reliable, repeatable outcomes: 

• Effectiveness: Care grounded in scientific evidence and delivered to those who can benefit. Evidence-based sepsis bundles, for instance, have been shown to reduce mortality in emergency settings. 
• Efficiency: Using time, supplies and talent to avoid waste. Streamlined medication-administration workflows help reduce delays and give nurses more time for direct patient care.  
• Equity: Equal access to high-quality care regardless of background or circumstance. Addressing social determinants, such as transportation support, can lower no-show rates and improve chronic disease management. 
• Patient-centeredness: Respecting each person’s needs, values and preferences. Shared decision-making has been linked to better satisfaction and stronger treatment adherence.  
• Timeliness: Reducing waits and harmful delays. Rapid response teams that activate within minutes have been effective in lowering in-hospital cardiac arrest rates. 
• Safety: Protecting patients from preventable harm caused by the care intended to help them. For example, strong hand-hygiene efforts consistently lower infection rates. 

When these principles align, care providers and healthcare institutions can build a culture that elevates patient outcomes and reputation. Patients notice the difference and healthcare workers experience fewer adverse events and greater professional fulfillment. 

Lessons learned: safety incidents and high-quality care initiatives

Even advanced systems can fall short. Medication-related harm is one example, affecting roughly one in 30 patients worldwide, according to the WHO. This underscores the importance of diligence and demonstrates how high-reliability organizations can use lessons from failures to drive meaningful change.  

At the same time, structured, data-driven work can directly improve safety and reliability. 

Here are examples of initiatives that have helped improve healthcare delivery and patient safety outcomes:

• Antimicrobial stewardship programs reducing hospital-acquired infection rates
• Surgical safety checklists linked to a drop in postoperative mortality
• Clinical pharmacists embedded in inpatient units leading to a reduction in serious medication errors
• Hourly rounding protocols cutting patient falls 
• Rapid-cycle Root Cause Analysis (RCA) sprints shrinking corrective-action timelines

6 strategies to enhance patient safety and deliver high-quality care

A strong safety program is a coordinated framework of evidence-based best practices that weave safety into every part of quality patient care. When these strategies are used together, they strengthen care providers’ ability to prevent harm and respond quickly when risk appears.

1. Identify risks and prevent errors 

The first step is spotting hazards before they cause harm. Medication mix-ups, surgical missteps, infections and falls continue to be common risks, but many adverse events are preventable. Proactive tools, such as Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), help healthcare institutions map high-risk processes and identify what could go wrong. Safeguards like independent double checks, barcode scanning and standardized communication tools add layers of protection. 

2. Implement standardized protocols and best practices

When teams follow the same clear steps, outcomes improve. Checklists, bundles and standardized protocols reduce variability, simplify training and help ensure that critical steps are never skipped. Over time, consistency becomes part of the culture.  

3. Cultivate a culture of safety and staff training

A culture of psychological safety supports physical safety. Encourage near-miss reporting, close feedback loops and offer ongoing education and simulation training. These efforts build confidence and reinforce that learning matters more than blame.  

4. Engage patients and improve communication

Patients and families bring essential insight. Invite questions, encourage involvement and make information easy to understand. You might: 

• Use plain-language teach-back at discharge
• Offer translated materials when needed
• Encourage patients to keep updated medication lists
• Provide portals for secure messaging and lab results
• Include family in bedside handoffs

These steps turn patients into active partners and help reduce avoidable misunderstandings throughout healthcare delivery.

5. Use technology and data to support safety

When used well, technology enhances vigilance. Real-time dashboards, clinical decision support alerts and predictive analytics help teams catch problems early. Other helpful tools include: 

• Electronic incident-reporting systems
• Smart infusion pumps
• Automated hand-hygiene monitoring
• Telehealth follow-ups

Data becomes more than numbers when it guides faster, more effective action.

6. Foster collaboration across teams and disciplines

Safety thrives when silos disappear. Multidisciplinary rounds, daily huddles and shared dashboards help create a full picture of patient needs. Joint simulation exercises and community partnerships further strengthen continuity of care. 

Measuring success: key indicators and real-world safety programs

Solid strategies mean little without proof that they work. Tracking the right data turns quality improvement initiatives into a measurable reality. Key performance indicators often include:

• Hospital-acquired infection rates
• 30-day readmissions
• Medication error rates
• Patient falls
• Standardized patient satisfaction scores

Real-time dashboards help keep everyone aligned, and regular audits confirm that improvements match patient experiences.

A healthcare facility that does this well combines quantitative data with personal insights. Patient interviews, staff debriefs and incident reports help explain why issues occur and what solutions may be most effective. This investment in safety and healthcare quality pays off through fewer complications and stronger patient outcomes. 

Learn to lead in patient safety and quality improvement

Safe, high-quality care depends on professionals who continually update their knowledge and build stronger processes. Staying current with guidelines, learning improvement science and developing leadership skills helps you turn best practices into everyday habits that protect patients and strengthen performance. 

Education fuels that progress. Whether you’re already in healthcare or transitioning from another field, advanced coursework and specialized training give you the tools to support meaningful change. These skills can translate into faster adoption of evidence-based protocols, more effective teamwork and greater influence in shaping care delivery. 

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program from Capella University is designed for working nurses who want to help improve care quality while meeting the latest American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials. Practice the skills needed to help support quality improvement, identify safety risks and apply organizational interventions that can lead to better patient, system and population outcomes.  

Ready to make a measurable impact? Explore the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program from Capella University and see how you can help lead the next wave of patient safety and quality innovation.