Involving patients and families
Current guidance suggests health and care providers explain the incident, offer an apology, and a commitment to prevent recurrence.
Involving patients and families
Being open (duty of candour)
Scotland is committed to a person-centred approach within its health and social services. This includes a duty of candour towards service users and families. This means being open and honest, telling patients the truth when something goes wrong. Typical of service users and families, who are involved in patient safety incidents or make complaints about services is the stated intent that they “don’t want anyone else to go through what they have experienced”. Inherent in this sentiment is the desire that services learn from feedback, safety incidents, complaints and near misses where unnecessary harm is caused (or could have been) when interacting with health care services.
Duty of Candour training pack available at this link https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/24970
Involving patients and families
There is growing recognition among health care providers and policy makers that when things go wrong, a complaint or near miss, the patient or their families should be heard and participate in the review process. Guidance on how best to involve patients and families in a caring and compassionate manner is set out in APICCTHS model co-created with people who have experienced and adverse event in healthcare (see below).
Read about what matters to patients and their familieshttps://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/5/e060158
In the following films
Roseanna talks about the importance of apology and serious adverse event review.
Fred talks about his son Adam and shares his experience of a serious adverse event review. Here is Adam's story.
Compassionate communications skills training course
NES is offering compassionate communication skills training focused on how to include patients and family in adverse event reviews. Participants attend three online half-day sessions covering a mix of interactional skills, theory, and practical strategies for inspiring effective communication and one peer support session. Cohort 5 & 6 completed in February 2024. Next training will take place August/September 2024. For more information, please email nes.personcentredcare@nhs.scot
Below is the evaluation report covering the first 4 cohorts.
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Evaluation of compassionate communication skills training
APICCTHS model
Apology, person-centred, inclusive, communication, closing the loop, timing, heart of review, support for staff (APICCTHS)
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APICCTHS model leaflet. Involving patients and families in adverse event reviews: Using compassionate communication skills
Here are 3 short animations providing more information on the APICCTHS model.