Author- Lisa Johnson RN, BSN, CCP
Patient safety should be a top priority for everyone within the healthcare system. Right? While healthcare providers do their best to keep their patients safe, we know that process failures, equipment issues, caregiver fatigue, and plain old human error can wreak havoc on a “simple visit to the hospital.”
You may ask, "what are those medical errors I've heard about?" According to a Johns Hopkins study, "medical mistakes kill more than 250, 000 people every year."(Study Suggests Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S. - 05/03/2016, n.d.)
Among the top medical mistakes:
1) Medication errors, 2) Delayed medical diagnoses,
3) Incorrect medical diagnoses, 4) Infections,
5)Malfunctioning or defective medical devices.
In 2023, we are faced with a labor shortage in healthcare that we haven’t seen in many decades. This alone increases the potential for medical errors. But overcrowded emergency departments, high rates of mental and moral fatigue resulting from the pandemic, and insurance companies pushing to get patients discharged faster create an even bigger recipe for disaster.
Patient safety should be a shared belief. Healthcare is known to be a high-risk environment, but patient safety is everyone’s responsibility. Knowing how to keep yourself or a loved one safe at the most basic of levels is a great starting point for ensuring a positive outcome.
Here are five key elements to staying safe.
1)Patient, Staff, and Procedure Identification
At every encounter with a hospital staff member, ensure that they are introducing themselves and checking your armband. In addition, if being taken from your room for a procedure, verify that the procedure they are doing was ordered for you by your MD.
2)Hand-washing and Infection Prevention
One of the most basic infection prevention techniques is good hand washing. Before allowing any caregiver to interact with you physically, make sure they’ve washed their hands. And, if they haven’t, ask them to do so.
3)Medication Reconciliation and Safety
Whenever you are being given medications, ask, “what is that, and what is it meant to treat.” If you feel that the drug is being given in error, you may refuse it and ask to speak with your doctor. If you are on longstanding medications for chronic illnesses, ask your MD if they will be continued during your hospital stay. Certain medications should not be discontinued abruptly.
4) Informed Consent
Informed consent is the process by which a fully informed patient can a) participate in choices about their healthcare and 2) agree to be treated.
Prior to any procedure, your MD should explain how the procedure will be done, the risks and benefits, and the expected outcomes. Do not feel pressured to sign consent forms until all of your questions are fully answered.
5)Asking Questions About Procedures or Treatments
Always ensure that procedures and treatments are explained to you in understandable terms. Ask about risks, side effects, and what to expect afterward. If anything is unclear, continue to ask questions until you feel comfortable about what to expect.
(Rodziewicz et al., 2021)
Remember!
~You are a member of your healthcare team.
~You have a voice in your care.
~You are at the center of your care.
Para obtener información en español, Comuníquese con Chesapeake Health Advocates y se le puede enviar por correo electrónico una copia de "Los 5 Elementos Clave Para Mantenerse Seguro en el Hospital".
Rodziewicz, T. L., Houseman, B. T., & Hipskind, J. (2021). Medical error reduction and prevention. StatPearls. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29763131/
Study Suggests Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S. - 05/03/2016. (n.d.). https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/study_suggests_medical_errors_now_third_leading_cause_of_death_in_the_us
Patient safety should be a shared belief. Healthcare is known to be a high-risk environment, but patient safety is everyone’s responsibility. Knowing how to keep yourself or a loved one safe at the most basic of levels is a great starting point for ensuring a positive outcome.
Here are five key elements to staying safe.
1)Patient, Staff, and Procedure Identification
At every encounter with a hospital staff member, ensure that they are introducing themselves and checking your armband. In addition, if being taken from your room for a procedure, verify that the procedure they are doing was ordered for you by your MD.
2)Hand-washing and Infection Prevention
One of the most basic infection prevention techniques is good hand washing. Before allowing any caregiver to interact with you physically, make sure they’ve washed their hands. And, if they haven’t, ask them to do so.
3)Medication Reconciliation and Safety
Whenever you are being given medications, ask, “what is that, and what is it meant to treat.” If you feel that the drug is being given in error, you may refuse it and ask to speak with your doctor. If you are on longstanding medications for chronic illnesses, ask your MD if they will be continued during your hospital stay. Certain medications should not be discontinued abruptly.
4) Informed Consent
Informed consent is the process by which a fully informed patient can a) participate in choices about their healthcare and 2) agree to be treated.
Prior to any procedure, your MD should explain how the procedure will be done, the risks and benefits, and the expected outcomes. Do not feel pressured to sign consent forms until all of your questions are fully answered.
5)Asking Questions About Procedures or Treatments
Always ensure that procedures and treatments are explained to you in understandable terms. Ask about risks, side effects, and what to expect afterward. If anything is unclear, continue to ask questions until you feel comfortable about what to expect.
(Rodziewicz et al., 2021)
Remember!
~You are a member of your healthcare team.
~You have a voice in your care.
~You are at the center of your care.
Para obtener información en español, Comuníquese con Chesapeake Health Advocates y se le puede enviar por correo electrónico una copia de "Los 5 Elementos Clave Para Mantenerse Seguro en el Hospital".
Rodziewicz, T. L., Houseman, B. T., & Hipskind, J. (2021). Medical error reduction and prevention. StatPearls. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29763131/
Study Suggests Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S. - 05/03/2016. (n.d.). https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/study_suggests_medical_errors_now_third_leading_cause_of_death_in_the_us
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