sábado, 23 de junio de 2018

A Multi-Stakeholder Consensus-Driven Research Agenda for Better Understanding and Supporting the Emotional Impact of Harmful Events on Patients and Families - Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety

A Multi-Stakeholder Consensus-Driven Research Agenda for Better Understanding and Supporting the Emotional Impact of Harmful Events on Patients and Families - Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety

AHRQ News Now



Participants in AHRQ-Funded Conference Discuss Research Agenda To Support Patients and Families After Harmful Health Care Events

Patients and families would benefit from a research agenda and immediate strategies to address the emotional and psychological impact of health care-associated harm, according to participants at an AHRQ-funded conference. The group devised a four-part research agenda consisting of: establishing a conceptual framework and patient-centered taxonomy of harm and healing; describing the epidemiology of emotional harm; determining how to make emotional harm and long-term impacts visible to health care organizations and society; and developing and implementing best practices for emotional support of patients and families. Proceedings of the conference were published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. Access the abstract.

Abstract

Background

The nature and consequences of patient and family emotional harm stemming from preventable medical error, such as losing a loved one or surviving serious medical injury is poorly understood. Patients and families, clinicians, social scientists, lawyers, and foundation/policy leaders were brought together to establish research priorities for this issue.

Methods

A one-day conference of diverse stakeholder groups to establish a consensus-driven research agenda focused on (1) priorities for research on the short-term and long-term emotional impact of harmful events on patients and families, (2) barriers and enablers to conducting such research, and (3) actionable steps toward better supporting harmed patients and families now.

Results

Stakeholders discussed patient and family experiences after serious harmful events, including profound isolation, psychological distress, damaging aspects of medical culture, health care aversion, and negative effects on communities. Stakeholder groups reached consensus, defining four research priorities: (1) Establish conceptual framework and patient-centered taxonomy of harm and healing; (2) Describe epidemiology of emotional harm; (3) Determine how to make emotional harm and long-term impacts visible to health care organizations and society at large; and (4) Develop and implement best practices for emotional support of patients and families. The group also created a strategy for overcoming research barriers and actionable “Do Now” approaches to improve the patient and family experience while research is ongoing.

Conclusion

Emotional and other long-term impacts of harmful events can have profound consequences for patients and families. Stakeholders designed a path forward to inform approaches that better support harmed patients and families, with both immediately actionable and longer-term research strategies.

No hay comentarios: