Partnering with Patients to Reduce Medical Errors

Edited by Patrice L. Spath. Chicago, Il; Health Forum Inc, 2004. $45.00. ISBN 1-55648-314-7. 185 pages.

Patient safety and the reduction of medical errors have been at the forefront of healthcare since the publication of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System in 1999. This book takes the problems presented in the IOM report to the next level, and presents both theoretical and practical solutions to a variety of patient safety issues.

The authors of the chapters have varied backgrounds, and include registered nurses, physicians, and an attorney; the editor is a health information management professional. Some of the information in the chapters is repetitious, as each author briefly reviews the information on patient safety and patient involvement in the healthcare process. Several chapters detail actual processes to increase patient involvement in healthcare that have been implemented at various hospitals throughout the United States. Other chapters deal with the vast systems changes and transformations of behaviors and attitudes that must occur to have real patient involvement in the prevention of medical errors.

This book is a valuable read for anyone engaged in healthcare, especially for those who have been in practice for many years. It presents views guaranteed to change one's perceptions of interactions between patients and healthcare providers.