Patient participation: current knowledge and applicability to patient safety
- PMID: 20042562
- PMCID: PMC2800278
- DOI: 10.4065/mcp.2009.0248
Patient participation: current knowledge and applicability to patient safety
Abstract
Patient participation is increasingly recognized as a key component in the redesign of health care processes and is advocated as a means to improve patient safety. The concept has been successfully applied to various areas of patient care, such as decision making and the management of chronic diseases. We review the origins of patient participation, discuss the published evidence on its efficacy, and summarize the factors influencing its implementation. Patient-related factors, such as acceptance of the new patient role, lack of medical knowledge, lack of confidence, comorbidity, and various sociodemographic parameters, all affect willingness to participate in the health care process. Among health care workers, the acceptance and promotion of patient participation are influenced by other issues, including the desire to maintain control, lack of time, personal beliefs, type of illness, and training in patient-caregiver relationships. Social status, specialty, ethnic origin, and the stakes involved also influence patient and health care worker acceptance. The London Declaration, endorsed by the World Health Organization World Alliance for Patient Safety, calls for a greater role for patients to improve the safety of health care worldwide. Patient participation in hand hygiene promotion among staff to prevent health care-associated infection is discussed as an illustrative example. A conceptual model including key factors that influence participation and invite patients to contribute to error prevention is proposed. Further research is essential to establish key determinants for the success of patient participation in reducing medical errors and in improving patient safety.
Figures
References
-
- Kennedy JF. Special message to the Congress on protecting the consumer interest. In: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States March15, 1962 Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office; 1962:93:236 http://www.jfklink.com/speeches/jfk/publicpapers/1962/jfk93_62.html Accessed July 1, 2009
-
- World Health Organisation World Alliance for Patient Safety. Global Patient Safety Challenge 2005-2006: Clean Care is Safer Care Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organisation; 2005:1-25 http://www.who.int/patientsafety/events/05/GPSC_Launch_ENGLISH_FINAL.pdf Accessed July 1, 2009
-
- Cahill J. Patient participation—a review of the literature. J Clin Nurs 1998;7(2):119-128 - PubMed
-
- Coulter A, Ellins J. Patient-Focused Interventions: A Review of the Evidence London, England: The Health Foundation and Picker Institute Europe; 2006:7-20
-
- Emanuel EJ, Emanuel LL. Four models of the physician-patient relationship. JAMA 1992;267(16):2221-2226 - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources