Injured patients want more info on safety improvement efforts

(HealthDay)—Communication-and-resolution program (CRP) experiences are positive overall for a small majority of patients and families, but they report that hospitals rarely share information about preventing recurrences, according to a study published online Oct. 9 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Jennifer Moore, Ph.D., from the University of New South Wales in Australia, and colleagues conducted semi-structured interviews with 27 patients, three family members, and 10 staff members at three U.S. hospitals that operate CRPs to examine the experiences of patients with medical injuries and CRPs and to understand the different aspects of institutional responses to injury.

The researchers found that 27 of the 30 patients and family members interviewed experienced injuries attributed to error and received compensation. For 18 of the 30, the CRP experience was positive overall, and 18 continued to receive care at the hospital. Sixteen deemed their compensation to be adequate, while 17 found that the offer was not sufficiently proactive. When communications were empathetic and nonadversarial, including compensation negotiations, satisfaction was highest. There was a strong desire to understand what the hospital did to prevent recurrences of the event, but 24 of 30 patients and family members reported receiving no information about efforts to improve safety.

"As hospitals strive to provide more patient-centered care, opportunities exist to improve institutional responses to injuries and promote reconciliation," the authors write.

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