Patient safety and rights. Developing tools to support consumer health literacy

Both the topics of patient safety and patient rights are high on the health agendas of countries in the European region. Nevertheless, they are addressed differently: via policy oriented approaches focusing on legislation that reflects on patient rights, and via projects and activities addressing concrete safety risks implemented as part of the work on patient safety. These methods need to be linked in order to enhance patient understanding and active involvement in the process of health care improvement. One of the most important goals of the present research is to provide evidence based guidance on enhancing patient safety and rights through patient information and empowerment.