WIHI on The Patient Activist

The Patient Activist
Thursday, December 16, 2010, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Eastern Time
Guests:
Bill Thatcher, Executive Director, Cautious Patient Foundation

Barbara Balik, RN, EdD, Senior Faculty, Institute for Healthcare Improvement

Tricia Pil, MD, Medical Writer, University Health Sciences Project Coordinator, Patient Activist

Charles Maclean, PhD, Founder, PhilanthropyNow

When you think of a patient activist, what sort of individual comes to mind? Someone who has been harmed by health care or who has a loved one who’s experienced an error? Someone who’s filed a lawsuit against a hospital? Someone who’s angry and still waiting for answers... and an apology? If these are your impressions, OR your experiences, OR the experiences of someone you know, they are indeed features of what’s motivating a new “army” of individuals and groups to insist on a far safer and more patient-centered health care system – both in the US and internationally.

What may be less well understood is how sophisticated this loose network of “fellow travelers” has become. Many groups now work directly with health care organizations, especially hospitals, on the redesign of care, on shared decision making, and on far more reliable ways of communicating vital information to patients and families. The mushrooming of patient advisory councils is also another sign of active engagement with providers and administrators on what’s working, what’s not, and how to improve.

Some 50 patient activist leaders travelled to IHI’s National Forum in Orlando, Florida, to share experiences and to consider ways to combine forces to be that much more effective. Come find out what happened at this first-ever summit by tuning into WIHI on December 16 and hearing from Bill Thatcher, Barbara Balik, Tricia Pil, and Charles Maclean. Each has a story to share and a role to play, as do you, to make health care safer and more effective. WIHI host Madge Kaplan invites you to come learn and add to the ideas and the blueprint for change.

To enroll, please click here.

About WIHI
WIHI is an exciting "talk show" program from IHI, connecting you to the cutting edge of health care improvement. It’s free, it’s timely, and it’s designed to help dedicated legions of health care improvers worldwide keep up with some of the freshest and most robust thinking and strategies for improving patient care. A 60-minute program is offered live every other week, or you can listen to recordings of the broadcast later at your convenience. WIHI is your opportunity to meet up with colleagues who want to improve patient care and shape a true health reform agenda.