QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND PATIENT SAFETY IN HEALTHCARE SERVICES

Abstract

The quality of care and patient safety are fundamental dimensions of healthcare service management, since failures in care processes can lead to preventable harm, compromise clinical outcomes, and reduce users’ trust in healthcare institutions. This study aims to analyze the contribution of quality management to the promotion of patient safety, with emphasis on the prevention of adverse events, risk management, and the development of organizational practices focused on continuous improvement. This is a bibliographic study with a qualitative approach and an exploratory-descriptive nature, based on the analysis of scientific literature and regulatory documents related to quality of care and patient safety. The literature indicates that the occurrence of incidents cannot be understood exclusively as the result of individual failures, as it also involves factors associated with work organization, communication, care protocols, available resources, leadership, and institutional culture. In this context, strategies such as risk identification and analysis, incident reporting and investigation, use of indicators, process standardization, continuing education, and strengthening of a safety culture are relevant to harm prevention. It is noteworthy that quality management produces more consistent results when it goes beyond formal compliance with standards and incorporates safety into institutional decision-making and everyday care processes. It is concluded that reducing adverse events requires a systemic approach, multidisciplinary participation, organizational learning, and an ongoing commitment by management to safe, effective, and patient-centered care practices.