September 16, 2011 (CHARLESTON, SC)– Nancy Muller, PhD, executive director of the National Association For Continence (NAFC), facilitated a workshop discussion, The Growing Momentum for Improved Patient Safety and Protection, at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Continence Society’s (ICS) in Glasgow, Scotland, held August 29 – September 2, 2011. Dr. Muller was joined by panel speakers from Japan, Kaoru Nishimura, and The Netherlands, Lynne van Poelgeest-Pomfet, sharing initiatives in the US, Asia and Europe, respectively, on the topic of growing interest.

This workshop presented examples of a global shift in health care away from being primarily physician-centered or institution-centered and instead toward a more patient-centered focus. Attendees gained knowledge of how to integrate the patient voice in developing a treatment plan through shared decision making, to improve patient compliance through patient engagement and to use patient-recorded treatment goals and outcomes in clinical assessment of health status and disease preventive measures.

Muller presented on how the trend toward patient-centered focus is being witnessed in the US, away from its traditional system of paternalism by doctors and hospitals. Two decades ago in the US, the high cost of health care was linked directly to medial errors. Now patients, through evidence-based research, are increasingly directed to hospitals and doctors who have performed the greatest volume of identical procedures they are undergoing. “Through the Internet, patients are increasingly organizing themselves around safety issues and they need help from organizations like NAFC to get prepped on how best to share in decisions surrounding their treatment and care plans," commented NAFC Chairman of the Board, Niall Galloway, MB, FRCS, FRCSE.