Best Care Scenario: Nephrology Patient Safety Starts In The Clinical Trial Setting

Each September, World Patient Safety Day engages physicians and patients alike to focus on enhancing safety and reducing harm in the healthcare environment.¹ With the World Health Organization (WHO) noting over USD$42B in medication errors annually, it is understandable that the onus is on clinical trials to identify patient medication risk prior to regulatory approval and treatment. But, beyond that, is it possible that the clinical trial setting is also the best environment to ensure a patient’s safety?

“The conduct of the clinical study ultimately informs what we do in the real world,” says Nephrologist Dr. Jamie P. Dwyer, Associate Dean for Clinical Research, Professor of Medicine at the Data Coordinating Center and Clinical and Translational Research Institute at the University of Utah, Chair of the Board, President, and Principal Investigator of the Collaborative Study Group. “In many ways, it is the best case scenario for observing a patient’s reaction to treatment and keeping them safe.”