Objective To investigate baseline data of the current status of patients in China, and thus to develop strategies to get patients involved in evidence-based medicine (EBM). Method 300 questionnaires with 17 questions were distributed to the in-patients in West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Statistical software such as SPASS 10. 0 was applied to analyze all the data. Results No patients had ever heard of EBM. Most patients did not know much information about their diseases, but had a b desire to learn from their doctors. Most of them would like to be involved in the treatment decision-making and hoped that their doctors would care about their preference. The cost and the effectiveness of the treatment were the most important issues that patient concerned about. Conclusions The dissemination of health information is very limited for patients and the accessibility of effective health information depends much on the direct communication with their doctors. Promoting patient involved in EBM is fairly a hard and long way to go based on the actual reality of the country.
Participating in patients for patient safety program will help place patients at the center of efforts to improve patient safety. This paper presented a brief introduction to patients for patient safety program and its significance and functions.
Objective To assess the effectiveness of the course of “Being a Friend with Patients”. Methods There were three parts in this course: (1) To experience what the empathy was, by counseling activities; (2) To accompany patients in hospital; (3) To share the experience after accompanying. There were 118 participants who were freshmen at the end of 2005. Results and Conclusions According to feedback from the students, they understand empathy and how the patients feel after the counseling. The course is accepted by all students. It may help students to be more attentive to and concerned about their patients, and to provied help for them.
This article introduced the structure and features of the medical safety and quality management system of New South Wales (NSW) of Australia. The system was funded by government with overall design, multi-sectors involvement, and explicit roles of government, hospitals, and independent third parties. The system also developed national and state-wide regulations, policies, standards and their certification. The NSW Health Incident Information Management System (IIMS), the guidelines and interventional programs were also established to decrease the medical risk and ensure the healthcare quality. This system will be used for reference to the national medical risk and quality management system of China.
Objective To investigate the attitudes of Chinese doctors towards the difficulties they have concerning the involvement of patients in decision-making about treatment. Method We surveyed 1 088 doctors at different levels (70% internal medicine, 22% general surgery, 8% gynecology) from 20 general hospitals and 5 university hospitals covering 25 provinces and cities in China, using a simple questionnaire, which we had developed. Results A total of 780 doctors returned the questionnaire and of these only 488 (62%) had completed it. The difficulties that doctors were most concerned about focused on lack of time (27%), expressing uncertainties to patients (15%), dealing with patients who have little medical knowledge (13%), eliciting patients’ preferences (12%), and establishing a stable relationship (9%). Conclusion Increasing their knowledge of patient involvement in making treatment decisions may reinforce appropriate attitudes towards this concept among doctors.
Objective To explore the postoperative satisfaction of patients with lumbar disc herniation after enhanced recovery after surgery and its related factors. Methods A total of 102 patients with lumbar disc herniation were selected and analyzed by convenient sampling method from September 2016 to June 2017. The patients’ general information, functional status [using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) to investigate the preoperative, postoperative and post-discharge ODI] and patients’ satisfaction (1 month after the discharge) were collected. Results A total of 102 patients, including 62 males and 40 females, aged from 14 to 82 years with an average of (43.8±14.4) years were included in the study.The mean length of hospital stay was (6.61±2.49) days. The total score of patients’ satisfaction was 62.43±6.37, and the satisfaction degree was at the middle and high level. Postoperative and post-discharge ODIs were associated with patients’ satisfaction (rs=0.328, 0.452; P<0.05). Conclusions The postoperative satisfaction of patients with lumbar disc herniation after enhanced recovery after surgery should be further improved. The medical staff should pay attention to the recovery of postoperative function in order to improve the patients’ satisfaction.
Advancing patient safety is one of the most important strategies developed by WHO and patients must be in the center of advancing patient safety activities. This paper outlined the importance of partnership between health professionals and patients in patient safety activities in the WHO global patient safety challenges “Safe surgery saves lives”.
Objective To analyze experiences of medical risk management in the United Kingdom so as to explore the possible application for the construction of a Chinese medical risk monitoring and early warning system. Methods We searched Engineering Information, SCI and SSCI, EMBASE, SCOPUS with 100% MEDLINE, VIP, CNKI, and government or official websites. This search was conducted in Jan. 2006. We included articles about medical risk, patient safety and medical errors in the UK. Languages of articles were limited either in English or in Chinese. Results Eleven articles were included, of which 9 article are evidence of level B (about 80%) and the other 2 are evidence of level C (about 20%). The report of “An Organization with a Memory” revealed the severity of medical errors and adverse events in the UK in 2000, and subsequently Minister Blair announced a five-year reform program for NHS. Within 7 years of reform, NHS budget has been increased from £33 billion to £674 billion,(check numbers-doesn’t sound correct) the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) and the New National System for learning from adverse events and near misses have been established, a series of practicable measures aimed at ensuring patient safety, preventing medical risk and improving healthcare quality have been implemented, all of which have effectively resolved many problems that perplexed the government and public, such as patients waiting time, range of NHS service, the availability of medical facility and mortality induced by high-risk diseases. Conclusion There are both advantages and disadvantages in the present status of the UK medical risk management. Both of them will provide a guide to prevent medical risk, improve healthcare quality and to realize the ultimate goal that everybody could share healthcare sources fairly and safely in our country.
Patients with cardiac diseases undergoing non-cardiac surgery have high risk and mortality. Management of these kind of patients is complicated and difficult. Appropriate use of circulation monitoring is good for clinical decision making and prognosis improvement. This article reviews the circulation monitoring technologies for patients with cardiac diseases undergoing non-cardiac surgeries from pressure monitoring, haemodynamics monitoring and cardiac structure and function monitoring. To choose suitable circulation monitor individually according to advantages, disadvantages and interference factors of every technology, the comorbidities and surgical characteristics can provide references for clinical decision making.