Aligning Patient Safety and Stewardship: A Harm Reduction Strategy for Children

Review important patient safety and stewardship concepts and use clinical examples to describe how they align to improve patient outcomes and reduce harm for children.

Current evidence indicates that healthcare overuse is substantial. Unnecessary care leads to avoidable adverse events, anxiety and distress, and financial toxicity. Increases in antimicrobial resistance, venous thromboembolism, radiation exposure, and healthcare costs are examples of patient harm associated with a lack of stewardship. Studies indicate that many tools can increase standardization of care, improve resource utilization, and enhance safety culture to better align safety and stewardship.

The principles of stewardship and parsimonious care can improve patient safety for children.