There can be a big payback: Testimony on Massachusetts state funding for patient safety

This was my testimony today on state funding:

Secretary Bigby, Commissioner Auerbach, and other executives,

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

I'm Ken Farbstein, President of the Consumer Health Quality Council of Health Care for All. We'll submit more formal written testimony to add to this personal oral testimony.

Our Council is mostly people who had a serious medical error in their own family. At our last meeting, my friend Kim came and told us about his mother's death from a hospital acquired infection. (I'm glad the DPH is reporting those, as that can persuade hospitals to become safer.) And we heard from another man, Lee, whose girlfriend died needlessly in a hospital. If the Rapid Response Methods section of the law had been in place then, and if he knew about it, she might well be alive today. (I'm glad that DPH can collect information about hospitals' use of Rapid Response Methods.) One of our long-time members didn't come to our last meeting, because her new leg prosthesis was still uncomfortable. She needed one after more than 20 operations following a very serious hospital-acquired infection.

Yesterday a work group of our Council reviewed the hospitals' plans for their Patient and Family Advisory Councils, required by Chapter 305. We were happy to learn that consumers on one hospital's advisory council got the hospital to extend visiting hours to 7x24, so family members can be with their loved ones when they're most vulnerable and afraid. If all hospitals plan and conduct these advisory councils, a lot more good ideas like that will become reality. If DPH can help make those ideas known – IF they have money for someone to look, and discover them, so much the better.

I firmly believe that reporting errors keeps providers more mindful of the need to make their systems safer. It doesn't take much of DPH's time to gather and report that, and there can be a big payback. Of course, DPH needs the funding to keep doing that. I hope you give them, and the Betsy Lehman Center, what they need.

Advice: It's a citizen's job to keep his mouth open.

Read another story about Chapter 305 testimony.

Each of us has had a serious error: Testimony on patient councils for hospitals

Here is the testimony to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services that I delivered this afternoon on the health care law that Gov. Deval Patrick signed on August 15:

Dr. Bigby, Mr. Wilkinson, and Commissioners,

It's very late in the day, and I appreciate your patience in hearing our testimony on Chapter 305.

I'm a member of Health Care for All's Consumer Council. Each of us has had a serious error in our family.

We're very happy with the quality sections of the newly signed law, Chapter 305, and urge you to request a lot of money in your departmental budget for the next fiscal year for monitoring hospitals' reporting of serious events and hospital infections, and encouraging rapid response teams in hospitals.

In the interest of time, I'll focus on hospital patient and family advisory councils. Elsewhere in the country, these councils have greatly raised patients' satisfaction levels. And, since patients are trained on how to care for themselves, fewer need rehospitalization, and fewer come back to the E.R., after leaving the hospital. So there can be big cost savings, too, IF people receive solid training on how to be effective council members. At a few thousand dollars to train a team at each of the 70 hospitals in the state, that comes to a few hundred thousand dollars. That money would be well spent.

Thanks for your consideration.

Advice: Look for opportunities to create and influence laws for patient partnership.

Read another story about testimony on Massachusetts legislation.