QUICK JUMP

For Healthcare Providers

Valuing Patients & Families as Partners in Healthcare

By Lori Nerbonne, RN

Actionable steps that demonstrate value for patient safety and providing compassionate carere after harm

Include top leadership and hospital boards in setting the direction for patient safety.
Implement an open disclosure and apology policy as a basic component of providing compassionate care when harm occurs.
Sponsor support groups for harmed patients/their families
Form Patient-Family Advisory Councils that report to the Hospital Board of Directors
Form a Patient Safety Task Force or Commission that includes all stakeholders in healthcare; patients, employers, public & mental health, quality experts, medical ethics professionals, social service and financial experts.
Value & support transparency as both a change-agent for providers/hospitals and for providing consumers with valuable data from which they can make informed decisions
Adopt the National Patient Safety Foundation’s National Agenda for Action: ‘Nothing About Me, Without Me’
Adopt the Institute for Family-Centered Care’s ‘Partnering with Patients & Families to Enhance Safety & Quality’
Adopt a culture and an attitude that puts patients and patient safety at the center of how care is planned and carried out at every level.
Above all, value & respect all patients/families; their input, perspective, insight, intelligence, and culture. Do this by providing not only quality, but honest, compassionate care; especially when unintended harm occurs.

Do You Hear Excuses in Your Facility That Sabotage Patient Safety? From the Journal of Patient Safety: No Excuses, The Reality That Demand Action.

Invite patients who have been harmed to tell their story, share their ideas & inspire staff, administration, and hospital Boards.
Invite patients to speak at local/state conferences on patient safety
Include family interviews in death reviews and route cause analysis. This is recommended by ACOG (The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) for maternal and infant mortality. Why not all deaths or patient injuries?
Hold brown bag luncheons that bring patients/families together to talk about their experiences.
Include questions about outcomes on hospital evaluations (ask: "Did you experience any complications from the care you received?")