Benefits of working with service users and carers
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- Project becomes user focused not service focused
- Projects directly benefit service users and carers
- Enables better working across boundaries – Service users do not care who provides the intervention
- Service users as partners
- Key to developing and delivering responsive services
- Improves clinical outcomes1
- Service users are the experts in their own condition2
- When service users and carers are present other meeting attendees tend not to play politics out
There are many good reasons to involve patients and the public in the NHS.
People who become active in decisions about their care, experience:
- Reduced anxiety and psychological distress
- Symptom resolution
- Reduced blood pressure
- Enhanced functional and health status and mood
And there are obvious benefits to organisations, for example:
- Helping design services that will meet people's needs
- Assisting the development of alternative proposals
- Helping to build accountability and trust in NHS organisations if these pay attention to what people say3
1 - Thornicroft G, Tansella M. (2005) Growing recognition of the importance of service involvement in mental health service planning and evaluation. Epidemiol Psychiatr Soc. 2005 Jan-Mar;14(1):1-3
2 - Picker Institute Europe's Improving Patients' Experience Newsletter (Issue 6, June 2003).
3 - A Edwards and G Elwyn. Developing professional ability to involve patients in their care: pull or push? Quality in Health Care 2001;10: 129-130