Information sharing in health care: a patient's perspective

Abstract

When it comes to getting ideas for improvement, no vantage point in health care is better than the horizontal position.1 THERE ARE FEW INDUSTRY SECTORS more in need of better solutions to information sharing and knowledge management than health care. The issues surrounding information management in the health care sector are pressing and complex. This paper explores my subjective experience of information sharing as a patient within a medium-sized Australian public hospital and illustrates the potential impact on safety and quality. I am a health services researcher. My case was not urgent or complex, I am not disadvantaged or seriously ill, and the hospital?s waiting list for the procedure was short. The outcome of the surgery was good and my satisfaction high. The case is, however, extremely pertinent to the current debate around information sharing in health care.