Guest blog post by Deb Wachenheim, Health Quality Manager at Health Care For All (HCFA) in Boston. HCFA has launched a new website that can help patients in Massachusetts and across the country speak up when something goes wrong in the hospital. There is information on asking for help when you are in the hospital, advice on how to file a complaint, and resources available to help you.
The Consumer Health Quality Council, HCFA’s quality improvement coalition, is pleased to announce the debut of a new website.
Members of the Consumer Council who had difficult health care experiences have said that following the occurrence of an adverse medical event, it was very difficult to determine where they could go for assistance and even to file a complaint, especially when they were in the midst of dealing with the physical and emotional pain from their experiences. They felt lost in the system. This website has information on how to speak up when someone is dissatisfied with a health care experience and resources available to assist with complaints and with navigating the health care system, as well as with providing emotional support when needed.
The site includes a list of all hospitals in Massachusetts with information about complaint processes for some of them. Members of the Consumer Council’s Assertive Patient work group found that complaint processes are different at each hospital, with some of them being more clearly laid out than others. The work group reached out to all hospitals in Massachusetts asking for information on complaint processes and has posted on this website the information that was provided. The group hopes to add information on additional hospitals over time.
Read the HCFA press release about the new website here. Please send any questions or comments to Deb Wachenheim
Many thanks to Dori Peleg, Elizabeth Pell, Nicola Truppin and Su Yoon for their passion for this work and for the many hours of time and energy they put towards this project.
– Deb Wachenheim