The hospital patient representative: a key player in quality improvement

A national survey of hospital patient representatives was conducted to identify and analyze basic demographic and occupational data for patient representatives. A total of 387 randomly selected U.S. hospitals were surveyed with a response rate of 66% (256 hospitals). Only 172 responses were completed appropriately. Of those who responded appropriately, we found the typical patient representative to be a female between 30 and 50 years old, with a bachelor's degree and about 6 years of experience as a patient representative. The majority of the respondents held a positive view of their role as the liaison between the patient and the administration as well as a facilitator for patients, families, staff, and administration problem solving. Several of the respondents stated that patient representatives strive to meet the needs and expectations of patients through their role as liaison with the administration. This role has a positive and crucial impact on improving the quality of care in healthcare organizations.