Tanya Lord, Ph.D., M.P.H., is the Director of Patient and Family Engagement and the Foundation for Healthy Communities in Concord, New Hampshire

Patients and families are the key to accelerating progress in reducing harm. Using patient and family engagement as a strategy to improve patient safety is not a new concept; however, implementing it authentically has been a struggle.  In the next five years, I think we’ll begin to see patients and their families participate as expert members of their own care teams, recognized by providers as allies in preventing harm.

When we include patients and family members as advisors and co-designers on every improvement initiative and on all internal committees (including investigations of adverse events and medical errors), we will see patient safety transformed.