Structuring patient and family involvement in medical error event disclosure and analysis.

Patient engagement is increasingly recognized as a key element for patient safety. Although patients and family members may provide unique insights into adverse events, they are rarely asked to participate in medical error investigations, such as root cause analyses. Using detailed interviews, this study revealed that clinicians and hospital administrators generally support including patients and family members in these types of activities, but they are not sure how best to do so. A group of patients and health care experts at a national conference explored these findings and felt that patient involvement was desirable, but they identified many concerns and limitations with this approach. A recent AHRQ WebM&M perspective by Dr. Saul Weingart discussed the opportunities for patient engagement in patient safety.