Patient Safety Advisory Council Issues Final Report
Safe care requires communication, honesty between patient and provider
(September 9, 2010) PULSE of New York, a grassroots patient safety advocacy organization headquartered in Nassau County, NY, today released the final report of its Long Island Community-Based Patient Safety Advisory Council (PSAC). This advisory council was formed more than a year ago by Ilene Corina, founder of PULSE and the first Long Islander to be named an American Hospital Association Patient Safety Fellow. The PSAC itself became her fellowship project and through her interactions with PSAC members the unique needs of different patient populations, such as the disabled, transgender, and Hispanic, were revealed.
“The purpose of the Patient Safety Advisory Council was to learn from those representing different patient populations about each groups’ specific needs to ensure they receive safe, quality care no matter their situation,” said Corina. “The next step is making all health care providers aware of the needs of these patient populations who may have been overlooked in the past.”
The Long Island hospital community, which has long focused on patient safety and quality improvement efforts, provided partial funding for the AHA Fellowship project through the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council (NSHC), the association that represents all hospitals on Long Island, by a separate grant from the 15-hospital North Shore-LIJ Health System, also a Hospital Council member and the Long Island Community Foundation.
“The overarching goal of the PSAC is to enhance communication between patient and provider which is the best way to improve health literacy”, says Corina. The report outlines projects to meet that goal. Transgender patients, for example, typically encounter health providers who are insensitive, often unknowingly, to the physical and emotional needs of this transforming patient group. The report suggests staff training using films and testimonials as one way to improve the delivery of care for these patients. Among many Spanish-speaking patients there is little to no comprehension when it comes to advanced directives. Two PSAC members produced films in both Spanish and English that introduce patients to their right to have a translator and present an overview of advanced directives. Another project seeks to mitigate the misuse of prescription drugs, especially pain killers, through an educational pamphlet distributed at the time of hospital discharge, when medication is prescribed in the physician’s office, and when medication is purchased at the pharmacy.
“We were very pleased to support PULSE of New York and the work of Ms. Corina and the Patient Safety Advisory Council,” said Kevin Dahill, president/CEO of the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council and the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association. “Our hospitals engage in patient safety and performance improvement initiatives every day. An organization like PULSE helps improve outcomes for all with its emphasis on communication and an empowered patient.”
“With the leadership of Ms. Corina, a compassionate and highly knowledgeable advocate, PULSE of New York has helped patients and families across the region cope with adverse medical events experienced in healthcare facilities,” said Kenneth Abrams, MD, North Shore-LIJ’s senior vice president of clinical operations. “The final PSAC report demonstrates that hospitals must be patient-centered; create open and honest dialogue among healthcare providers and patients; and emphasize patient safety at every level of an institution.”
PULSE of New York is seeking funding to continue the Patient Safety Advisory Council and its work with these and other community groups that represent different patient populations and their unique safety concerns.
About PULSE: PULSE is a nonprofit 501 (c)3 grassroots organization dedicated to raising awareness about patient safety and reducing medical errors through advocacy, education, and support. We work to empower the public to make informed decisions, increase effective communication and respect between healthcare providers and the public, and create community partnerships that will foster and ultimately lead to safer healthcare environments.
About Nassau Suffolk Hospital Council: The Nassau Suffolk Hospital Council helps enhance health care for all Long Islanders by representing the interests of its member hospitals before lawmakers, regulatory agencies, the media, and the public.
Safe care requires communication, honesty between patient and provider
(September 9, 2010) PULSE of New York, a grassroots patient safety advocacy organization headquartered in Nassau County, NY, today released the final report of its Long Island Community-Based Patient Safety Advisory Council (PSAC). This advisory council was formed more than a year ago by Ilene Corina, founder of PULSE and the first Long Islander to be named an American Hospital Association Patient Safety Fellow. The PSAC itself became her fellowship project and through her interactions with PSAC members the unique needs of different patient populations, such as the disabled, transgender, and Hispanic, were revealed.
“The purpose of the Patient Safety Advisory Council was to learn from those representing different patient populations about each groups’ specific needs to ensure they receive safe, quality care no matter their situation,” said Corina. “The next step is making all health care providers aware of the needs of these patient populations who may have been overlooked in the past.”
The Long Island hospital community, which has long focused on patient safety and quality improvement efforts, provided partial funding for the AHA Fellowship project through the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council (NSHC), the association that represents all hospitals on Long Island, by a separate grant from the 15-hospital North Shore-LIJ Health System, also a Hospital Council member and the Long Island Community Foundation.
“The overarching goal of the PSAC is to enhance communication between patient and provider which is the best way to improve health literacy”, says Corina. The report outlines projects to meet that goal. Transgender patients, for example, typically encounter health providers who are insensitive, often unknowingly, to the physical and emotional needs of this transforming patient group. The report suggests staff training using films and testimonials as one way to improve the delivery of care for these patients. Among many Spanish-speaking patients there is little to no comprehension when it comes to advanced directives. Two PSAC members produced films in both Spanish and English that introduce patients to their right to have a translator and present an overview of advanced directives. Another project seeks to mitigate the misuse of prescription drugs, especially pain killers, through an educational pamphlet distributed at the time of hospital discharge, when medication is prescribed in the physician’s office, and when medication is purchased at the pharmacy.
“We were very pleased to support PULSE of New York and the work of Ms. Corina and the Patient Safety Advisory Council,” said Kevin Dahill, president/CEO of the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council and the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association. “Our hospitals engage in patient safety and performance improvement initiatives every day. An organization like PULSE helps improve outcomes for all with its emphasis on communication and an empowered patient.”
“With the leadership of Ms. Corina, a compassionate and highly knowledgeable advocate, PULSE of New York has helped patients and families across the region cope with adverse medical events experienced in healthcare facilities,” said Kenneth Abrams, MD, North Shore-LIJ’s senior vice president of clinical operations. “The final PSAC report demonstrates that hospitals must be patient-centered; create open and honest dialogue among healthcare providers and patients; and emphasize patient safety at every level of an institution.”
PULSE of New York is seeking funding to continue the Patient Safety Advisory Council and its work with these and other community groups that represent different patient populations and their unique safety concerns.
About PULSE: PULSE is a nonprofit 501 (c)3 grassroots organization dedicated to raising awareness about patient safety and reducing medical errors through advocacy, education, and support. We work to empower the public to make informed decisions, increase effective communication and respect between healthcare providers and the public, and create community partnerships that will foster and ultimately lead to safer healthcare environments.
About Nassau Suffolk Hospital Council: The Nassau Suffolk Hospital Council helps enhance health care for all Long Islanders by representing the interests of its member hospitals before lawmakers, regulatory agencies, the media, and the public.
