Patient experience and enhanced recovery

Much of the focus when introducing enhanced recovery pathways is about reducing length of stay. However, we must never forget that the primary focus of the approach is to improve patient care. In this blog post I link to an article recently published in the journal BMJ Quality and Safety and written by a noted French ethnographer.

In the article he describes his care in a French private hospital for a hip replacement. He recounts a number of events that are probably typical of many patients’ hospital experiences, and are essential for all of us to always keep in mind. The observations are probably similar to those patients might make after exposure to any modern healthcare system, except that they offer a level of detail few would provide. The account focuses on the contradiction between excellent technical operations and the absence of compassionate patient care, basic civility and the needs of patient safety.

Here is the link to the article

For want of a four-cent pull chain

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