Helping Informed Patients Safely Navigate a Hospital Stay

<p>Physicians and other providers are overburdened, deluged in digital and paper work and scrambling to keep up with the latest medical information, evidence and novel therapeutics.&nbsp; &nbsp;We understand!&nbsp; &nbsp;Time is limited for patient encounters, not to mention interactions with family members and other members of the care team.</p> <p>It&nbsp;is our belief that a patient who has an understanding of hospital processes, personnel, tests,&nbsp;procedures and therapies (and all the other details that comprise a hospital stay) will be more comfortable, less anxious and better focused to ask the pertinent questions and comply with orders.&nbsp; Dr. Friedman (a hospitalist and medical educator) and Ms. Merwin (an inpatient researcher and patient educator) have created the book for patients while simultaneously channeling the mindset and logistical constraints of the providers who take are of them.&nbsp; Some specific examples include:&nbsp; explanations for wait time in the ED and OR waiting room; the strong suggestion to write down questions BEFORE the physician comes into the room; the contemporary reality of the RN/MD relationship and scope of practice.&nbsp; Above all, <strong>patient safety is a concern for all stakeholders</strong> -- patients and caregivers who partner with the care team to protect patient safety can help prevent errors and complications and optimize outcomes. A major focus of the book is information offered to enhance safety; patients are enjoined to remain vigilant and adhere to hospital protocols with detailed explanations of why this is important and what harms can result if this advice is ignored.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Patient safety and patient satisfaction are the bywords of the contemporary health care era and medical marketplace.<strong> In this context, patient satisfaction is king.&nbsp; </strong>Hospitals stake their reputations and ultimately their profit margins on publicly reported data and patient reviews. Health systems rely upon favorable ratings to attract customers.&nbsp; And these customers (previously referred to as patients) dissect every nuance of the hospital encounter from the interactions with personnel to the quality of the food sent up by the dietary department.&nbsp; (It would not be an exaggeration to say that a subpar roast beef sandwich can downardly skew a rating.)</p> <p>In the wake of the original Institute of Medicine&#39;s 1999 report &quot;To Err is Human&quot; and the ensuing and continuing media attention to medical errors and patient safety, there is particular focus by all sectors on reducing the morbidity and mortality resulting from mistakes.&nbsp; The hospital provides a rich resevoir in which errors may occur: a perfect storm of host factors, human error, and system failure conspires to yield potentially lethal outcomes.&nbsp; &nbsp;An informed, educated and engaged patient (or surrogate) can contribute to optimizing his or her own&nbsp;outcome.&nbsp; &nbsp;A patient who is prepared, knowledgable and less anxious will be more comfortable and satisfied.&nbsp; &nbsp;Providers and other hospital staff whose patients are less worried, mystified and overwhelmed will experience lower burden.&nbsp; Thus can hospital stakeholders garner value as benefits accrue&nbsp;to the patient, the provider&nbsp; and the hospital itself.&nbsp; Health systems and hospitals are poised to capitalize on the synergy generated by informing and educating patients by reducing the knowledge gap.&nbsp; &quot;The Informed Patient: A Complete Guide to a Hospital Stay&quot; book offers this simple solution. The distribution channels exist through the various departments and services patients pass through as they enter the hospital:&nbsp; triage, admitting, and pre-surgical testing.&nbsp; Supplying patients with this book is sure to reap benefits for all.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Similarly to the economic reality&nbsp;of health systems, pharmaceutical and device companies, imaging facilities and ambulatory care centers compete for customer business.&nbsp; Additionally, insurers, wellness programs, long-term care and subacute facilities, and senior residential communities are concerned with patient safety and comfort as it relates tp their bottom lines.&nbsp; All of these entities have a stake in optimizing outcomes for patients, whether it is reducing hospital admissions, preventing errors or improving satisfaction.&nbsp; Although the content in &quot;The Informed Patient&quot; book relates largely to individuals who will present to the emergency department or&nbsp;hospital, many of the principles outlined may be extrapolated to other care settings.&nbsp; &nbsp;Further, there are many overlapping intersections of health care services; for example, older adults are the largest consumer&nbsp;of medications, comprise the largest volume of&nbsp;nursing home residentsand by virtue of their health status, most likley to require the services rendered by the hospital. We would welcome a partnership with industry and entities that provide services to patients to further the mission of informing patients to enhance safety, prevent adverse events and optimize comfort.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>