Book Review: Engaging Patients as Safety Partners (Chicago, IL: Health Forum Inc; 2008), Patrice L. Spath, ed

Abstract

This provocative title poses a critical question regarding a possible role for patients and is a testament to the movement within medicine to become more patient centered. The editor, Patrice L. Spath, has compiled 9 chapters written by 13 different authors, all demonstrating a need for change in the way the medical community cares for patients. The authors claim that medicine, as practiced today, is not safe because of preventable medical errors and that providers do little to ensure the well-being of patients. As stated in the foreword, "[T]hat is why this book will be such a useful resource for patients, families, advocates, providers, and others working to prevent harm from medical errors."Each of 9 chapters individually establishes the need for reform in preventing medical errors. The authors use stories, anecdotes, and research studies to establish major causes. These include lack of proper oversight, lack of communication and dialogue, lack of patient involvement (through asking and answering questions), and the presence of physician "paternalism," which prohibits patient collaboration. The authors not only plea for a change to include patients in medical care but also prove that it is a necessity to prevent error.A key concept of chapter 5 that explains the lack of dialogue is that many patients are not "health literate." They neither understand nor are able to make sound decisions from medical jargon and health information. The authors stress the necessity for physicians to openly communicate with patients using language they will understand. This