Patient-powered research networks aim to improve patient care and health research.

The era of big data, loosely defined as the development and analysis of large or complex data sets, brings new opportunities to empower patients and their families to generate, collect, and use their health information for both clinical and research purposes. In 2013 the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute launched a large national research network, PCORnet, that includes both clinical and patient-powered research networks. This article describes these networks, their potential uses, and the challenges they face.

Patient participation: current knowledge and applicability to patient safety.

Patient participation is increasingly recognized as a key component in the redesign of health care processes and is advocated as a means to improve patient safety. The concept has been successfully applied to various areas of patient care, such as decision making and the management of chronic diseases. We review the origins of patient participation, discuss the published evidence on its efficacy, and summarize the factors influencing its implementation.

The medical liability crisis of 2003: must we squander the chance to put patients first?

Medical liability reform should be aligned with a patient-centered, systems-based approach to preventing injury. Lessons learned about medical risk are now buried by the legal system, and communication about risk is haphazard among health care providers and across the interfaces of our legal, regulatory, and health care systems. Tort reform can be a vehicle for breaking down systemic barriers.