The Forgotten Team Member: Engaging Patients in Improving Care

Author: Frank Federico, Content Director, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, ffederico@ihi.org

Reviewer: Valerie Pracilio, Project Manager for Quality Improvement in the Department of Health Policy and student in the Public Health Program at Thomas Jefferson University

Description

Have you ever spent hours in a waiting room — just to get a few stitches? You probably had a few suggestions in mind for the people who designed that system.

Often, clinicians develop health care delivery systems and procedures without taking into account the “voice of the patient.”  The purpose of this exercise is to increase awareness of our health care experiences as patients, or as the family members or caregivers of patients.

Learning Objectives

After completing this exercise, participants will be able to:

• State how their own experiences as patients or as the family members/friends of patients affect their satisfaction with the health care system.
• Describe how to use patient experiences to improve the delivery of health care.
• Explain the importance of including patients in efforts to improve processes to deliver care.