Introduction

Since publication of To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System,1 consideration of medical errors and injuries has broadened beyond hospital-based harms to patient experiences of harm in primary care.2 ,3 The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF)4 has concluded that progress towards a healthcare culture of safety depends on the establishment of a systems approach that extends beyond hospitals to care settings in the community and patients' homes, herein referred to as ambulatory care settings. Included in NPSF's recommendations for such an approach is partnering with patients and families at all levels of care. Less well articulated is how this partnering may be achieved in the settings highlighted by NPSF.

The objectives of this viewpoint are twofold. The first is to hypothesise pathways through which an empowered patient–family partnership may effectively advance healthcare safety and quality in ambulatory care settings and the home. The second is to describe key elements and lessons learned from a successful communication intervention designed to empower patients and families to effectively work together with clinicians during ambulatory medical visits.

Throughout the remainder of this commentary, family will be broadly defined to include spouses, partners, adult children and other relatives, and friends.