In our evermore complex, interconnected world, with health systems undergoing new challenges and stresses, risk management in the healthcare industry has never been more important. Three ISO standards play a significant role in matching clinical quality with patient safety and best practice, helping not only to deal with risks but also to prevent them in the first place.

Some 16 billion injections are administered around the world every year, each one bringing with it a risk of transmitting disease. Reusing a syringe increases that risk exponentially. ISO is tackling the problem with standards for single-use syringes and a set of requirements to prevent unintentional needle-stick injuries. Some of these standards are being updated to make them even more fit for purpose.

While some countries have made great progress toward universal health coverage, half the world’s population are still unable to obtain the health services they need. ISO’s collaboration with the World Health Organization is working to change things.

Here’s a nice problem to have: in many countries, patient care is becoming more complex because we’re generally living longer and surviving illnesses that would have at one time spelled the end. That means an increasing reliance on multiple specialists to treat our ailments, and the need to reliably share ever-growing quantities of information to enable the best care outcomes.