HELP  PREVENT  MEDICAL  ERRORS

                     

“ALL PATIENTS SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THEIR OWN HEALTH CARE.”

                                     

This series of health & safety is promoted by JCAHO and supported

  by Medicare and Medicaid.

Speak up if you have questions or concerns.

If you still don’t understand, ask again. It’s your

body and you have a right to know.

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Your health is important. Do not be embarrassed if

you don't understand what your doctor, nurse or other

health care professional tells you.

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Don’t be afraid to ask about safety. If you’re having

surgery, ask the doctor to mark the area that is to

be operated on.

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Don’t be afraid to tell the nurse or the doctor if you

think you are about to get the wrong medicine

or treatment.

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Don't be afraid to tell a health care professional

if you think he or she has confused you with

another patient.

Pay attention to the care you get.

Always

make sure you get the right treatments and

medicines by the right health care professionals.

Don’t assume anything.

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Tell you nurse or doctor if something doesn’t

seem right.

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Health care workers should introduce themselves.

Look for their identification (ID) badges.

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Notice whether your caregivers have washed their

hands. Hand washing is the most important way to

prevent infection. Don’t be afraid to remind a doctor

or nurse to do this.

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Make sure your nurse or doctor checks your ID.

Make sure they do this before giving you medicine

or treatment.

Educate yourself about your illness. Learn about

the medical tests you will get. Learn about your

care plan.

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Ask your doctor about the special training and

experience that qualifies him or her to treat

your illness.

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Find out about your condition. Good places to get

information are from your doctor, your library, respected

websites and support groups.

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Write down information that your doctor tells you.

Ask your doctor if he or she has any written

information you can keep.

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Read all medical forms. Make sure you understand

them before you sign them. If you don’t understand

ask your doctor or nurse to explain them.

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Make sure you know how to work any equipment that

is being used in your care. If you use oxygen at home,

do not smoke or let anyone smoke near you.

Ask a trusted family member or friend to be

your advocate (advisor or supporter).

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Your  advocate can ask questions you may not think

about when you are stressed.

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Ask this person to be with your during your treatment

or operation.

Your advocate can help make sure you

get the right medicines and treatment.

•

Your advocate can remember answers to questions

you have asked.

They can speak up for you when you

cannot speak up for yourself.

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Make sure this person understands the care you want.

Make sure they know what you want done about life

support and other life-saving efforts.

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Read the consents for treatment with your advocate

before you sign them. Make sure you both understand

exactly what you are agreeing to.

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Make sure your advocate understands the care you

will need when you get home. Your advocate should

know what to look for if your condition gets worse.

They should also know who to call for help.

now what medicines you take. Know why you take

them. Medicine errors are the most common health

care mistakes.

•

Ask why you should take the medicine. Ask for written

information about it. Find out its brand and generic

names. Ask about the side effects of all medicines.

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If you do not recognize a medicine make sure that it is

for you.

Ask about medicines that you take by mouth

before you swallow them. Read the labels on the bags

of intravenous (IV) fluids. If you’re not well enough to do

this ask your advocate to do it.

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If you are given an IV ask the nurse how long it should

take for the liquid to “run out.” Tell the nurse if it seems

to be dripping too fast or too slow.

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When you get a new medicine tell your doctors and

nurses about your allergies. Tell them about any bad

reactions you have had to other medicines.

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If you take a lot of medicines ask your doctor or pharmacist

if it is safe to take them together. Do the same thing with

vitamins, herbs, and over-the-counter drugs.

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Make sure you can read the handwriting on prescriptions

written by your doctor

. If you can’t read it the pharmacist may not be able to either.

Ask somebody at the doctor’s office to print the prescription.

Use an ambulatory care center

surgery center or office-based surgery practice, imaging center or

other type of health care organization that has been

carefully checked out. For example,

The Joint Commission

visits ambulatory care centers to see if they meet

The Joint

Commission’s quality standards.

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Ask if the organization has taken care of people with

your illness or condition. How often do they perform the

treatment you need? What special care do they give to

help patients get well?

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If you have more than one ambulatory care center to

choose from ask your doctor which one offers the best

care for you

Before you leave the facility ask about follow-up care.

Make sure that you understand all of the instructions.

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Go to Quality Check at www.qualitycheck.org to find

out if your ambulatory care center is “accredited.”

Accredited means that the center works by rules that

make sure that patient safety and quality standards

are followed.

Participate in all decisions about your treatment.

You are the center of the health care team.

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You and your doctor should agree on exactly what

will be done during each step of your care.

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Know who will be taking care of you. Find out how

long the treatment will last. Know how you should feel.

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Understand that more treatments, tests or medicines

may not always be better for you. Ask your doctor

how a new treatment, test or medicine will help.

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Keep copies of your medical records. Share them

with your health care team. This will give them better

information about your health history

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Don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion. If you

are not sure about the best treatment for your condition,

talk to one or two more doctors. The more information

you have about all the kinds of treatment available to

you the better you will feel about the decisions made.

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Ask to speak with others who have had the same

treatment or operation. They may help you prepare for

the days and weeks ahead.

They may be able to tell

you what to expect and what worked best for them.