Patient Safety Awareness Week

Page last updated 3/1/2024.

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Patient Safety Awareness Week (PSAW) is from March 10 to 16, 2024!

Started by the National Patient Safety Foundation, PSAW promotes the safety of patients and healthcare providers. As the burden of healthcare-associated infections is increasing, the Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Program promotes a resilient public health and healthcare system to keep patients safe from infections commonly spread in healthcare settings.

Healthcare providers and staff prioritize and play a critical role in protecting patients from disease and infection. This includes:

  • Hand hygiene,
  • Antibiotic stewardship,
  • Environmental cleaning and disinfection,
  • Disease reporting, and
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) source control.

The following materials and suggested messaging are available for you to use to help promote Patient Safety Awareness Week 2024.

Patient Safety Awareness Week 2024 Materials

PSAW24 Infographic

Spanish

Suggested Messaging: 

It's Patient Safety Awareness Week! The Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) program is dedicated to preventing infections in the community. We encourage healthcare providers and staff to be superheroes and protect patients from disease. Scan the QR code to learn more.

 

PSAW24 Social Media Posts

Share the following PSAW messages throughout the week. You can also follow and re-post from the County’s social media accounts.

  • Twitter: SDCountyHHSA | SanDiegoCounty | livewell_sd
  • Facebook: SDCountyHHSA | County of San Diego - Government | LiveWellSD
  • Instagram: livewell_sd | countyofsandiego

    • Suggested social media post for March 10th—Introduction to PSAW24.

    Spanish

    Patient Safety Awareness Week is an annual recognition from March 10th-16th with the purpose of teaching others about the importance of healthcare safety.

    Learn about patient safety awareness week and explore patient safety topics by visiting the Patient Safety Awareness 2024 webpage.
    #PSAW24

     

    Suggested social media post for March 11th—Hand Hygiene

    Spanish

    Studies show that healthcare providers clean their hands less than half of the time they should. Practicing good hand hygiene helps protect healthcare providers and the patients treated.

    Learn more about hand hygiene by visiting the Clean Hands Count webpage.
    #PSAW24
     

    Suggested social media post for March 12th—Antibiotic Stewardship

    Spanish

    Improving antibiotic prescribing and use is critical to effectively treat infections, protect patients from harm caused by unnecessary antibiotic use, and combat antibiotic resistance.

    Learn more about antibiotic stewardship by visiting the Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship webpage.
    #PSAW24
     

    Suggested social media post for March 13th—Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection

    Spanish

    Germs are everywhere! Environmental cleaning is an effective process that breaks the germ pathways heading toward vulnerable patients.

    Watch our Environmental Cleaning Video for best practices on environmental cleaning.
    #PSAW24

     

    Suggested social media post for March 14th—Reporting

    Spanish

    Reporting suspected specimens to the County of San Diego allows County staff to provide follow-up information to patients that can help keep them safe.

    Report diseases at our disease reporting webpage. 
    #PSAW24
     

     

    Suggested social media post for March 15th—PPE

    Spanish

    Following proper doffing (taking off) and donning (putting on) of PPE (personal protective equipment) will help minimize the risk of disease transmission.

    Learn more by visiting the PPE Proper Wearing, Removal, and Disposal webpage.
    #PSAW24
     

    Suggested social media post for March 16th—Hand Hygiene (timing)

    Spanish

    Germs are everywhere! Knowing how to get rid of them and stop the spread of diseases is important.

    Learn when to wash your hands vs. when to use hand sanitizer by visiting the Hand Sanitizer Use Out and About webpage.

    #PSAW24

    The HAI program hours are Monday through Friday, except holidays, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please visit the Epidemiology Unit's Disease Reporting Requirements for Health Care Providers page to report an outbreak or submit a disease report.

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    For more information, contact the San Diego HAI program through our contact form, via e-mail at phs.hai.hhsa@sdcounty.ca.gov, or call the Epidemiology Unit at (619) 692-8499.