title: HRET patient safety leadership fellowship: the role of "community" in patient safety.
abstract: Community engagement is widely endorsed but poorly defined as a strategy to improve patient safety. With strong evidence that engaging patients can positively influence health outcomes, it is presumed that community engagement could improve patient safety. Leaning on the models from other disciplines such as public health, the adequate knowledge and application of the principles of community engagement are critical for this approach to be effective. This article provides a description of the theories supporting patient partnership and community engagement, reviews critical elements of successful community-based programs, and identifies the potential for empowering communities to improve patient safety.
authors.affiliation: Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee, WI 53122, USA. Kathy.Leonhardt@aurora.org
authors.forename: Kathryn Kraft
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Leonhardt
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003256:Community Participation; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012449:Safety; D014481:United States