President Clinton recognises lives saved through healthcare technology

Former President of the US Bill Clinton presented the keynote address at the World Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit this weekend, drawing attention to the lives saved through the work of the Patient Safety Movement, and highlighting the importance of healthcare technology.

Former President of the US Bill Clinton presented the keynote address at the World Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit this weekend, drawing attention to the lives saved through the work of the Patient Safety Movement, and highlighting the importance of healthcare technology.

please get more people active in it and don’t give up

President Clinton said: “I’m grateful that the movement just in the last year alone saved more than 90,000 lives. I’m grateful for the 4,700 hospitals at home and around the world that are part of this effort. I’m grateful that 89 technology companies have committed to share data to develop algorithms and predict dangerous trends. And I hope there will be more. I’m very happy that this is increasingly a global effort.” He added: “please get more people active in it and don’t give up.”

Eighty-nine technology companies have signed up to The Open Data Pledge, which began in 2012 when nine companies agreed to open the data their devices are purchased for, without blocking, interfering with data sharing or charging, subject to all applicable privacy laws. The Patient Safety Movement urges hospitals procuring new systems and devices to include wording that “the vendor will share the data their devices are purchased for without knowing interference or charge”, and to refuse business to vendors who don’t agree to it.

More than 200,000 people die every year in U.S. hospitals and 4.8 million worldwide in ways that could have been prevented. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation is a global non-profit which creates free tools for patients and hospitals with the goal of reducing preventable deaths to zero.