News Releases
Partnership for Healthcare Excellence Launches
New Patient Education Campaign
Statewide Group Equips Massachusetts Residents with Tools
and Information to Improve Quality of Care
BOSTON – OCTOBER 25, 2007 – The Partnership for Healthcare Excellence today launched a multi-faceted public education campaign that will help consumers play a greater role in improving the quality of their health care.
The campaign includes advertising, a website (www.partnershipforhealthcare.org), community partnerships, events and grassroots outreach to engage consumers and encourage them to become more active participants in their care. The initial education efforts will focus on topics such as taking medications safely, preparing for surgery and for a safe stay in the hospital, and communicating more effectively with doctors.
“The Partnership believes that consumers need and deserve a stronger voice when it comes to improving the quality of their health care,” said Jim Conway, Chair of the Partnership and senior vice president, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). “We want to build an ‘on ramp’ for consumer engagement in health care,” said Conway.
The Partnership will also work to educate the public about the variations in health care quality and encourage consumers to advocate for overall health care system changes such as increased use of electronic medical records and the rapid introduction of tools to help consumers manage their medications.
“What makes the Partnership unique is its singular focus on consumers,” said Marilyn Schlein Kramer, executive director of the Partnership. “Many studies have shown that educated and engaged consumers actually achieve better health. In addition, it is clear that if we want to make real improvements in quality of care at the system level, consumers need to be part of the conversation,” said Kramer.
The Partnership website contains fact sheets on ways consumers can make informed health care decisions. The website also provides annotated listings of resources from some of the best health care authorities to help simplify the search for reliable and useful information.
The need for what the Partnership is doing is clear. Research shows that consumers are keenly aware that problems with health care quality and safety exist and are eager for information to help them make informed health care decisions. However, the majority report that they are unaware of where to find this information. (KRC Research survey of 1,033 Massachusetts adults, April 2007)
ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP
The Partnership for Healthcare Excellence is the first statewide effort of its kind to focus specifically on patients – helping them to play a greater role in improving the quality of their health care. The Partnership is a broad-based coalition with participants from every segment of the health care community. Its members include consumer associations, disease and advocacy organizations, doctors, nurses, hospitals and community health centers, insurers, business groups, labor, public health advocates and other health care leaders. For more information please visit www.partnershipforhealthcare.org.
CONTACT:
Marilyn Schlein Kramer
Executive Director
The Partnership for Healthcare Excellence
Tel. 508-333-1324
E-mail: mkramer@healthexcellence.net