A 2026 edition focused on long-term care pathways

From September 14 to 18, 2026, Patient Safety Week is part of the momentum of World Day, championed by the World Health Organization.
The chosen theme — “Non-communicable diseases: providing safe care” — marks a turning point: safety is no longer limited to the act of care itself, but now concerns the entire care pathway.

Non-communicable diseases: a major patient safety challenge

Non-communicable diseases (cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, mental health disorders) are part of long, complex, and evolving care pathways.

In these situations, risks are not always visible. They often emerge gradually. Patient safety then becomes a matter of continuity and consistency over time.

Diffuse but cumulative risks

Unlike acute situations, chronic care pathways expose patients to repeated and cumulative risks.

An adverse event is rarely linked to a single error. It most often results from a series of minor deviations.
This is particularly evident in analyses of the medication circuit, where the complexity of real-life situations makes the strict application of protocols difficult.

Polypharmacy: a key vulnerability factor

Polypharmacy is a central point of vigilance in non-communicable diseases. It exposes patients to drug interactions, dosage errors, and misunderstandings.

These frequent situations require constant vigilance and a structured approach, developed in particular through training aligned with the HAS (French National Authority for Health) requirements on medication safety.

The patient, an active participant in their own safety

In chronic disease pathways, the patient plays an active role in managing their health. They participate in taking their medication, monitoring symptoms, and making daily decisions. This implies ensuring the safety of not only professional practices, but also the patient's understanding and autonomy. Approaches centered on patient experience and compassionate care allow for better integration of this dimension.

Securing pathways: an organizational challenge

The 2026 theme highlights the need to shift from an action-centered approach to a pathway-centered approach. This implies a need to ensure reliable communication between community and hospital settings. Coordination between healthcare professionals, the patient, and their family is essential. These skills are central to training in human factors and team communication, which are crucial for managing complex situations. A week to take concrete action: Patient Safety Week aims to strengthen the safety culture, disseminate tools, and promote initiatives. However, its impact depends on its adoption by the teams. Used as a working tool, particularly through simulation and structured debriefing, it helps to embed concrete and sustainable practices.

Towards Sustainable Patient Safety

Non-communicable diseases require us to rethink patient safety over the long term.

Reliability no longer relies solely on protocols, but on the system's ability to:

• adapt
• coordinate
• anticipate

Patient safety thus becomes a property of the care pathway, and no longer just of the procedure.

‍