Exploring patient participation in reducing health-care-related safety risks

Exploring patient participation in reducing health-care-related safety risks
174
The gaps in developing the role of the patient/consumer in patient safety are visible in:
» the current organization of care (insufficiently transparent and reliable);
» lack of insight into the values, knowledge, attitudes, needs, ideas and readiness of
patients/consumers to play a role in patient safety; and
» insufficient attention being given to the communication and health literacy skills of
professionals and patients/consumers.
Motivating professionals is a guiding principle for supporting and encouraging patients/
consumers to play a role in patient safety.
Conclusion
The relationship between the health care professional and the patient/consumer is the
key to developing the role of the latter in patient safety. The first prerequisite is shared
awareness of the fact that a role for the patient/consumer is possible, accompanied by the
motivation and skills to enable the activation of this role. A number of themes affect the
relationship between the professional and the patient/consumer and are important for
developing the integrated approach required:
» professionalization and facilitation of patient/consumer collectives (councils and
representatives) so that they can fulfil a role in care policy and primary care process
redesign;
» research into the effect and importance of, and the interaction between, the five
context factors on which the fulfilment of the role of the patient/consumer depends:
1. the specific patient (knowledge and opinions)
2. the illness (phase and characteristics)
3. the professional (knowledge, opinions and “inviting” behaviour)
4. the setting
5. the type of safety behaviour the client exhibits;
» research into existing initiatives (interventions) in terms of their effects, including
development, innovation and extending them to other settings;
» developing a national information and knowledge centre for all parties involved in
health care, with public information, tools and education packages to give substance
to the role of the patient/consumer in patient safety;
» setting up a training programme (such as a patient safety officer programme) for
health care organizations, focusing on leadership, culture and structure;
» evaluating and optimizing the legislation and regulations relating to the role of the
patient/consumer; and
» involving the insight of the client in guidelines, indicators and standards of care and
making health care options clear and understandable to the patient/consumer.
In the long term, it is essential that patients’ perspectives be incorporated at four levels:
1. the individual care process and organizations
2. the national health care organizations
3. the national health care system
4. laws and regulations.