How Patient- and Family-Centered Hospital Communications Reduce Medical Errors

Even with significant efforts to improve care, medical errors in hospitals that harm patients still occur at alarming rates, causing substantial avoidable financial and human costs.

Improving patient- and family-centered communications shows great promise in reducing errors as evidenced by a recent PCORI study. Employers can play a key role in demanding clear communication protocols and accountability among healthcare teams, improving health literacy, and empowering employees to advocate for themselves and their loved ones to drive costs down and safety up.