"From Tears to Transparency: A Conversation Can Change an Outcome. A Conversation Can Change a Life(™) ": Reflections From Patient Advocates.

The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) consensus conference provided many platforms for patient advocates to share their experiences and demonstrate the powerful contribution they have to offer to the decision-making process. One such platform was the presentation of a film "The Faces of Medical Error: From Tears to Transparency," shared by Patricia (Patty) and David Skolnik. In this article the Skolniks build on their story shared at the SAEM consensus conference and panel discussion. They provide further insight drawn from 9 years of experience as advocates for patient safety, including their reflections on working with, training, and educating medical professionals, lawmakers, and consumers in shared decision making and informed consent.