The patient's role in patient safety and the importance of a dedicated vascular access team.

Abstract

The role of dialysis patients in ensuring their own safety throughout the process of vascular access construction should be far from negligible. Patients can make important contributions to their safety starting in the predialysis stage, via vascular access construction and through the experience of chronic hemodialysis. Currently, patients assume a passive role and their empowerment requires both patients and caregivers to overcome many personal and cultural barriers, thus encouraging safety-related behavior. There are many opportunities for end-stage renal failure patients to be involved in every stage of their disease. In this chapter, we discuss how hemodialysis patients can participate in patient safety, including some of the main opportunities for involvement along the care pathway from the point at which the decision is made that the patient requires vascular access surgery.