Is 2019 the Year of the Patient Voice?

The 10th Health Datapalooza conference is coming up March 27-28, and its unofficial motto has always been “Nothing About Me Without Me.” That focus on participatory healthcare finally seems to be gaining traction in health systems as provider groups make the connection between recording patients’ preferences and impressions and improved outcomes.

Sometimes journalists write a series of stories and only after they are written do they realize a common thread. That is what happened to me the other day when I was listening to Lisa Schilling, R.N., M.P.H., vice president of quality, safety and clinical effectiveness at Stanford Health Care in California, speak about improving patient safety in the ambulatory setting. Referring to care coordination and transitions of care, Schilling said, “If you don’t use patient engagement methods like OpenNotes and co-design of your interventions with patients, teach back, and shared decision-making, now is the time to do that.”