The Patient Experience and Safety.

Patient harm continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Among high-risk industries, the health care system has a significantly lower safety profile than that of others. There are many driving forces behind this, including significant resistance within the medical community in the late 1960s to consumer demand of patient-centered and family-centered care. In subsequent decades the voice of the customer has taken center stage. The mounting research linking patient experience and engagement to patient safety and positive clinical outcomes is indisputable.