At the recent 4th Annual AARC Respiratory Patient Advocacy Summit, Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) discussed 3 key patient safety initiatives for PPAHS for 2019.
Also speaking with Mr. Wong on the panel discussion were:
- Eileen Rubin, JD (Cofounder, President and CEO, ARDS Foundation)
- Susan Hepworth (Alliance for Patient Access)
- David Elin, MSW (Director, Policy & Advocacy, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation)
Tim Myers (Chief Business Officer, AARC) moderated the session.
The 3 key patient safety initiatives for 2019 emphasized by Mr. Wong are:
- Opioid Safety – PPAHS is one of the few patient safety advocates, if not the only, advocating for safer in-hospital use of opioids (no matter what mode of administration – IV, oral, intramuscular, transdermal, etc). Said Mr. Wong, “Most patient advocates concentrate on opioid overdoses, misuse, and diversion that occurs outside of a medical setting. While “street overdoses and users” deserve care and sympathy, by looking at in-hospital opioid safety, PPAHS focuses on what we consider is the root cause of the issue.” PPAHS recommends that all patients receiving opioids in hospital should be continuously electronically monitored.
- Open Access – Access by patients to physician-recommended treatments, so that all patients are able to receive such treatments in a timely and affordable manner is a growing concern, said Mr. Wong. He emphasized that without access to treatments, patients will not see improved care.
- Sanctity of the Physician-Patient Relationship – To ensure that patients receive physician-recommended treatments, physicians must be able to prescribe medications that they believe are in the best interests of their patients. Interference with this physician-patient relationship by individuals or companies who are not the patient’s doctor may be illegal practices of medicine, said Mr. Wong, which may be subject to criminal and civil liabilities.