The 2026 edition focuses on long-term care pathways

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

Noncommunicable diseases: a major patient safety challenge

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

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

Spreads but accumulates risks

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

An adverse event is rarely caused by 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-world situations makes it difficult to strictly follow protocols.

Polypharmacy: a key risk factor

Polypharmacy is a key area of concern in the context of noncommunicable diseases. It exposes patients to drug interactions, dosing errors, and misunderstandings.

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

The patient, an active participant in their own safety

In chronic disease management, patients play an active role in managing their health. They take an active part in taking their medication, monitoring their symptoms, and making daily decisions. This requires ensuring not only the safety of clinical practices, but also the patient’s understanding and autonomy. Approaches centered on the patient experience and compassionate care allow for better integration of this aspect.

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.

Toward Sustainable Patient Safety

Noncommunicable diseases require us to rethink patient safety from a long-term perspective.

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

• adapt
• coordinate
• anticipate

Patient safety thus becomes an integral part of the care pathway, rather than being limited to the procedure itself.

‍