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PATIENT FIRST provides information to consumers about their rights & responsibilities and encourages them to speak up about issues of concern and take responsibility where they can for parts of their treatment. WACHS is committed to providing high quality and safe care to patients. The goal of the Patient First program is to increase patients' understanding of their condition, and allow them better decision-making through informed consent. Patients’ increased awareness of the risks inherent in their health care will minimise the potential for adverse events. Patient First information will increase patients' health literacy and give them the ability to self-manage their health issues.
As a consumer focused program it is expected that Patient First will be significantly implemented at the community /consumer end by the District Health Advisory Groups consumer groups with strong organisational support to ensure that WACHS staff are aware of the program, respond appropriately to those consumers who speak up and that processes are in place to prevent issues arising & enable consumer issues to be addressed.
Why Have Patient First?
- Patient Centered-Care: care focused on patient needs and engaging patients/consumers in health decision.
- Poor health care safety data: 10% adverse events.
- Early evidence (from human factors and systems literature) that patients can impact their own care.
- Demand on health care system and need for self-management.
- Modern expectations in developed world.
By educating health consumers in problems that can occur with their health care, they can be a more active, involved and informed participants. Such education will help reduce medical errors during a patient’s care.
For more information
Office of Safety and Quality in Health Care
Patient First booklet (1.5mb)
This booklet has been designed to provide information to help patients determine the best plan to achieve the most satisfactory outcome during their time in the WA health system.
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