By Melissa Clarkson, Patient Advocate

My mother and I are spending the next few days in Colorado participating in the Telluride Patient Safety Roundtable & Summer Camp This event brings together leaders in patient safety, medical residents, and a few family members of people who were victims of medical errors. It is a small group, about forty-some people. The purpose is to promote safety and disclosure in the healthcare system, with an emphasis on training the next generation of healthcare leaders.

I have three thoughts to share from yesterday.

Words…

My first thought is about the words we use to name things. I think that words reveal a great deal about people’s priorities, and words can strongly influence the mindset of those training in medical professions. So we need to think carefully about the power of words. There were two phrases used today that make me very uncomfortable…To read the rest of her post, go to Melissa’s blog here.