Who Are the Numbers

March 14th, 2023

Tracking and understanding data is valuable, necessary, and vital to improve health care, but only focusing on the numbers may take the focus off the people in those numbers. In this discussion, Leilani Schweitzer will detail the importance keeping patient, families, and the people who care for them at the center of safety improvement efforts. She will share her own experiences at Stanford to illustrate the needs of all stakeholders after an adverse medical event and how transparency and apology can benefit everyone.

Leilani Schweitzer

Leilani Schweitzer's primary responsibility has been the evolution of PEARL (Process for Early Assessment, Resolution & Learning), from a progressive intention to a fully implemented method for managing unexpected, adverse medical outcomes. PEARL is Stanford Health Care’s Communication and Resolution Program (CRP). She codified the process for initiating and maintaining contact with patients and families after significant, adverse outcomes. Working within the Risk Management Claims & Litigation team, She is responsible for all interactions with patients and their families, from initial contact, updates throughout the review process, culminating in apology and settlement negotiations, or if necessary denial and defense of claims. Of equal responsibility is the collaboration with the claims and litigation team to analyze adverse events through internal and external expert reviews, assessment of damages, determination of fair compensation, as well as, finding opportunities for patient safety improvements. With colleagues, she designs and presents CRP trainings for Stanford Health Care consulting clients. Trainings included disclosure scenarios, explanations of the claim evaluation process, and best practices for engaging patients and families in the CRP process.