Patient Engagement is Vital to Safer Care

National Experts Weigh in on Engaging the Patient www.engagingthepatient.com

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Improving healthcare communications and engaging patients is critical to improving safety and reducing error. That’s why in celebration of The National Patient Safety Foundation’s Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 6-12, patient safety thought leaders will be podcasting at the Engaging the Patient (www.engagingthepatient.com) blog about how to improve patient safety and empower patients to become more actively involved in their care. Featured experts include:

  • Diane Pinakiewicz, MBA, President of the National Patient Safety Foundation
  • Dr. Stephen Lawless, Vice President of Quality and Safety at Nemours
  • Dr. Jonathan Waters, Chief of Anesthesiology at Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC
  • Dr. Steven Kmucha, a practicing otolaryngologist (ENT) and outspoken patient safety advocate

Patient safety continues to be a pressing concern at America’s healthcare institutions. According to the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, every year, more than 15 million incidents of harm happen in U.S. hospitals. Medical errors cost Medicare $8.8 billion and result in hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths. The issue touches the lives of Americans of every age, race, gender and income.

Emmi Solutions, creator of the Engaging the Patient blog and of interactive patient engagement programs, is providing an online tool for patients on its website. The program helps parents of pediatric patients learn how to better ensure a safe hospital experience for their child. Healthcare providers across the country will have access to the program for the duration of Patient Safety Awareness Week.

To learn more and subscribe to the podcasts, visit www.engagingthepatient.com.

About Patient Safety Awareness Week

Patient Safety Awareness Week is an annual, National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF)-led education and awareness campaign for healthcare safety. Each year, healthcare organizations internationally take part in the event by prominently displaying the NPSF campaign logo and promotional materials within their organizations and deploying NPSF educational resources to hospital staff. NPSF is the founding sponsor of Patient Safety Awareness Week and has led the event since 2002, annually producing a visible campaign theme and robust toolkits specific to the most pressing patient safety issues.

About Engaging the Patient

Engaging the Patient, www.engagingthepatient.com, is the online forum where doctors, patients, administrators, academics and entrepreneurs discuss new ways to improve the patient experience and get patients more involved in their care. RSS feed is available at http://feeds.feedburner.com/EngagingThePatient.

About Emmi Solutions, LLC

Healthcare providers use Emmi® programs to engage patients and attribute their use with reduced surgical cancellation rates, length of stay and malpractice claims, and improved efficiency and patient satisfaction. The interactive media platform enables hospitals to track patient participation, enhance the patient experience and meet regulatory guidelines.



CONTACT:

Ritz Communications
Patty Keiler, 312-550-5394

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  Illinois

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:   Technology  Internet  Software  Practice Management  Health  Hospitals  Other Health  Blogging  Communications  Nursing  General Health  Managed Care

MEDIA:

Logo
 Logo