There
has recently been considerable discussion about the fact that the third leading
cause of death, after heart disease and cancer, is medical error. Use the
following “Be Safer” guide to help reduce your risks.
Be very clear
with your provider about:
• Medications
you might be taking, including over the counter pills, vitamins, and
supplements. It’s helpful to write out this information and give it to your
provider.
• Allergies,
adverse reactions to medications
• Family
health history
• Your
past medical history
• A
special diet plan you are on.
Prepare for appointments by writing down
concerns, symptoms etc. If possible, e-mail them to the provider before your
visit and definitely give a copy to them.
Enter information
into your personal health notebook when:
• You
see or talk to your medical provider, case manager or anyone else impacting
your care.
• You
receive test results
• Medications
are prescribed, you have an allergic reaction or when you stop a medication. Be
sure to include all over the counter medications, supplements and vitamins as
part of your list of medications.
• You
receive discharge summaries from hospitalizations and medical appointments.
In
addition, ask for copies of your medical records so you can be sure that the
information they have for you is accurate. Request a discharge summary of your
hospitalization. Learn more at Managing Health Information: Yours/Theirs
Seek second
opinions: Many patients seek second opinions from specialists but are less
likely to consider one for evaluating diagnostic test results, including
radiology and pathology findings.
Advocates. Use
them whenever possible. Learn more at Health Advocate-Who, What, When and Where.
Filing a
Prescription: A lot of errors occur because patients get the wrong medication,
it’s inappropriately prescribed, or there are issues with dosing and/or how
it’s to be taken.
• If
you are given a prescription
- Make sure you
can read it.
- If it’s going
to be called in to the pharmacy, ask for the name of the medication and write
it down. Because many pharmacies will give generic medications, be sure to ask
for both the trade and generic names.
- Know why you
are being given the prescription and write down how you should be taking it and
when.
- Ask about side
effects and what you should do if one occurs
- Are there
foods, other meds, supplements, activities, alcohol, which should be avoided
while taking the medication? Be sure to remind your provider of your allergies
• When
picking up a prescription:
- Check all your
prescriptions before you leave the pharmacy, or when you first receive them by
mail.
- Make sure the
medication name matches the one given by your provider.
- If this is a
prescription renewal, check for color, size and dosage.
- If it doesn’t
look like your previous prescriptions, talk to your pharmacist immediately.
- If it’s a new
prescription, check how you are to take the medication. Does this correspond to
what your provider told you? If not, talk to the pharmacist and if need be,
call your provider.
- If you will be
taking a liquid medication, ask the pharmacist for the best device to measure
out the liquid.
Encourage Hand
Washing: This is particularly important if you are in a hospital setting, where
according to the Centers for Disease Control, one in four patients get sick by
just being there. Providers that are asked by patients if they’ve washed their hands are more likely
to do so.
Research
Hospitals and Surgeons: Outcomes are better when choosing hospitals and
surgeons who have the most experience treating the type of condition you have.
Other
resources
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