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

Exploring patient participation in reducing health-care-related safety risks
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Recommendation 3 – Provide individual patients with relevant information
Information and communication are key words in this process. Patient participation
starts with the availability of valid, clear and relevant information at various levels,
including information related to:
» the basis on which patients can differentiate between (the quality and safety of )
health care providers;
» the patient’s health situation, available treatment options and potential risks to the
patient’s safety; and
» how to get involved in patient safety activities.
Availability and accessibility of such information is an important precondition for
patient participation in patient safety activities. Good information is a first and very
important step towards patient involvement. Content, availability and timing of
information are all of crucial importance.
Recommendation 4 – Stimulate the participation of patients in patient safety activities
It is important that health care providers invite, encourage and empower patients to
take part in patient safety activities and try to eliminate barriers. By doing so, patients
can contribute to their own safety and to the safety of future patients. 5 Adverse event
reporting systems should allow patients or their families to report adverse events.
Patients should be clearly informed about how to report into the system.
Recommendation 5 – Minimize barriers to patient participation (health literacy and SDM)
Some individual patients or groups may have insufficient health literacy to participate in
patient safety activities, lacking the necessary knowledge, skills and competences. Health
literacy problems should be actively detected, monitored and remedied. Patients can
claim a right to be supported. Important aspects include:
» improving access to information;
» training health care providers in effective communication;
» developing and implementing systematic support for patients with insufficient
health literacy; and
» making information available in other languages or providing translation/
interpreting services.
SDM should be one of the tools to improve patient participation.
Recommendation 6 – Stimulate the policy involvement of patients and their organizations
Patients and their organizations have a right to participate in policy development at
various levels. Policy-makers at all levels should actively seek the involvement of patients
and their organizations.
5 Research has shown that an important motive for patients to file a complaint is to prevent other patients experiencing the
same situation (see, for example, Vincent et al. (49) and Bismark et al. (50)). This finding indicates that the possibility of
improving general quality and safety may be an important motivator for participation in patient safety activities.