Patients for Patient Safety US Tackles #1 Patient Safety Challenge Facing the Health Care Industry: Dismissing Patient and Family Concerns

WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / March 13, 2025 / Patients for Patient Safety US (PFPS US) forges ahead with Project PIVOT, capturing outcomes and experiences that matter most to patients who have experienced the dismissal of patient and family concerns that resulted in harm or a near miss. The patient input from Project PIVOT will inform the development of patient-reported measures used in quality assessment as well as measures used in patient-centered research and quality improvements, especially among older adults, persons with disabilities, and mothers of color, who all disproportionately experience patient harm.

ECRI, an industry leader in patient safety analytics, recently identified dismissing patient and family concerns as the #1 patient safety concern for 2025.

Project PIVOT was center stage at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Patient Safety Congress March 9-11, 2025, where we partnered with patient and family advocates and healthcare professionals to ideate potential patient-reported measures related to the dismissal of patient concerns. Patients shared powerful stories of harm events rooted in the dismissal of patient and family concerns, before, during, and after care.

"I had pain and went to the doctor, but I was dismissed...Two weeks later, I nearly died and required emergency surgery - something that could have been avoided if I had been listened to the first time. My trust in the healthcare system was shattered."

"My cough and shortness of breath were ignored by my OB and in the ER. I was later diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, and my heart was functioning at only 5%. It made me feel that my personal experience of my body as an African American woman was less valid than the professional expertise gained from a medical book."

Harm is underreported in health care settings and our current measures to improve care and outcomes are not telling the story of patients who have experienced harm from being dismissed, says President and CEO of PFPS US, Sue Sheridan, whose newborn son suffered brain damage after her concerns were dismissed. "One of our greatest fears is that the harm we've endured, and the factors that led to it, will remain invisible and will not lead to improvements." We need to identify the most effective strategies to address actions that patients, providers and healthcare systems can take.

PFPS US invites patients, family members, and healthcare professionals to participate in ongoing discussions and surveys to help shape the future of patient safety. Those interested in contributing can learn more at www.pfps.us or via the contact information below.

About Patients for Patient Safety US: Patients for Patient Safety US (PFPS US) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing harm from unsafe care. Led by individuals with lived experience of preventable harm, PFPS US partners with key stakeholders to drive systemic change, improve diagnostic accuracy, and eliminate health disparities. Learn more at www.pfps.us.

Media Contact:
Sue Sheridan
President and CEO, PFPS US
[email protected] | 208-867-3479

SOURCE: Patients for Patient Safety US

Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. XPRMedia and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact [email protected]