Patient participation to patient safety in radiotherapy: Reality or necessity?

Patient safety has become a central priority for public policy, as evidenced by the number of accidents reported in the media in recent years. In this context, the involvement of users/citizens to manage their own security may be a way of improvement. Participation can be defined as actions taken by patients to reduce the likelihood of medical errors and / or mitigate the effects of errors when they do occur ( Davis, 2007 ). Although very few studies address this question ( Vincent & Coulter, 2002 ), it responds to major current issues. On one hand, the number of cancer patients is increasing every year. It increases the risks associated with their care, and raises the question of the role patients (and their families) can play to reduce these risks. On the other hand, promoting patient active participation joins the objectives of the Law of March 4, 2002, and the wishes of the patients themselves who want to be more independent and more involved in decisions about their health ( Coulter & Jenkinson, 2005 ).