UCSF. US: Open communication and a free flow of information represent
the “magic pill” needed to improve many of the issues in health care
related to safety, according to a new report released by the National
Patient Safety Foundation’s Lucian Leape Institute. Shining a Light: Safer Health Care Through Transparency defines
transparency as “the free, uninhibited flow of information that is open
to the scrutiny of others,” and calls for sweeping action within and
across organizations, between clinicians and patients, and in public
reporting.
“We hope this report will help convince people that transparency is not only the right thing to do, but that it will lead to improved outcomes, fewer errors, more satisfied patients, and reduced costs of care,” said UC San Francisco’s Robert M. Wachter, MD, associate chair of the Department of Medicine. He and Gary Kaplan, MD, FACMPE, chief executive officer, Virginia Mason Health System, both members of the NPSF Lucian Leape Institute, served as co-chairs of this initiative.
The report addresses four distinct yet overlapping domains where the open exchange of information is necessary to improve safety:
For more information about the report, please visit the NPSF Lucian Leape Institute's website.
“We hope this report will help convince people that transparency is not only the right thing to do, but that it will lead to improved outcomes, fewer errors, more satisfied patients, and reduced costs of care,” said UC San Francisco’s Robert M. Wachter, MD, associate chair of the Department of Medicine. He and Gary Kaplan, MD, FACMPE, chief executive officer, Virginia Mason Health System, both members of the NPSF Lucian Leape Institute, served as co-chairs of this initiative.
The report addresses four distinct yet overlapping domains where the open exchange of information is necessary to improve safety:
- Between clinicians and patients to ensure patients are well informed at all stages of their care
- Among clinicians to ensure the practices of high performers are shared with their peers
- Between organizations to allow greater collaboration on safety protocols and events
- With the public through meaningful measures and data that is understandable and useful to health care consumers
For more information about the report, please visit the NPSF Lucian Leape Institute's website.