Patientråd

Patientråd is a formal body within the health system that ensures patient perspectives are embedded in planning, delivery, and evaluation of health services. It typically consists of patients, relatives, and representatives from patient organizations, and is either elected by patients or appointed by the hospital or health authority. The council acts in an advisory capacity and does not have binding decision-making power, though its input is often required for quality improvement.

The main tasks include advising on the design of services and patient pathways, evaluating information provided to patients, contributing to patient safety initiatives, and helping to ensure that services are accessible and respectful. It may review care pathways, participate in committees related to quality and safety, provide feedback on hospital premises and communications, and participate in surveys or focus groups.

Governance: patientråd is usually linked to a hospital, clinic, or regional health authority, reporting to the hospital board or regional authority. It may have a chair, deputy, and a small secretariat, financed through the institution. It collaborates with other bodies such as patient ombud services, quality departments, and clinical staff.

Impact and challenges: when effective, patientråd can improve patient experience, trust, and safety, and contribute to service redesign. Challenges include ensuring representative participation, limited resources, and aligning patient input with medical and organizational constraints.

In Denmark, patientråd are commonly established at hospital or departmental level and form part of broader efforts to involve patients in healthcare governance. Similar concepts exist in other Nordic countries under different names.