Five strategies for how patients and families can improve patient safety: World Patient Safety Day 2023

World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) 2023 will be observed on 17 September with the theme “Engaging patients for patient safety” and the slogan “Elevate the voice of patients!” This timely theme spotlights the crucial role patients, families, caregivers, patient advocates, and patient organizations play in the safety of health care, and also highlights the importance of empowering and engaging them in the efforts aimed at reducing avoidable harm in health care. Meaningful patient engagement can reduce the burden of harm by up to 15%, and also save billions of dollars each year. Established in 2019 by the World Health Assembly (WHA) through resolution WHA72.6, WPSD calls for global solidarity and concerted action by all countries and international partners to improve patient safety. The commemoration of the Day brings together stakeholders to discuss the issues associated with the theme of the Day, identify the key approaches to address them, highlight different perspectives, and reconfirm the commitment by all to patient safety. The objectives for WPSD 2023 are to: