Speak Up — Help Prevent Errors In Your Care

To prevent health care errors, patients are urged to Speak Up Everyone has a role in making health care safe. That includes doctors, health care executives, nurses and many health care technicians. Health care organizations all across the country are working to make health care safe. As a patient, you can make your care safer by being an active, involved and informed member of your health care team. An Institute of Medicine report says that medical mistakes are a serious problem in the health care system. The IOM says that public awareness of the problem is an important step in making things better. The “Speak UpTM” program is sponsored by The Joint Commission. They agree that patients should be involved in their own health care. These efforts to increase patient awareness and involvement are also supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This program gives simple advice on how you can help make health care a good experience. Research shows that patients who take part in decisions about their own health care are more likely to get better faster. To help prevent health care mistakes, patients are urged to “Speak Up.” 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. Do not worry about being embarrassed if you don’t understand something that your health care professional tells you. 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. Don’t be afraid to tell the nurse or doctor if you think you are about to get the wrong medicine. Speak up if you think you are being confused with another patient. Pay attention. Always make sure you’re getting the right treatments and medicines. Speak up if something doesn’t seem right. Health care workers should introduce themselves. Look for identification (ID). If you don’t know who someone is, ask for ID. Hand washing is the most important way to prevent infections. Don’t be afraid to remind a doctor or nurse to do this. Know what time of the day you normally get medicine. If you don’t get it, tell your nurse or doctor. Make sure he or she checks your wristband and asks your name before you receive medicine or treatment. Educate yourself about your illness, medical tests, and treatment. Ask your doctor about the special training and experience that qualifies him or her to treat your illness. You can get information from your doctor, library, respected Web sites and support groups. Ask your doctor if he/she has any written information you can keep or write down important facts. Read all medical forms. Make sure you understand before you sign anything. If you don’t, ask your doctor or nurse to explain them. Make sure you know how to work any equipment that is being used in your care at home. If you use oxygen at home, do not smoke or let anyone smoke near you. Ask a trusted family member/friend to be your advocate/advisor/supporter. He/she can ask questions that you may not think about. Ask this person to stay with you, even overnight, when you are hospitalized. You will rest better and he/she can make sure you get the right medicines and treatments. He/she can help remember things you have asked and speak up for you if you cannot. Make sure this person understands the kind of care you want if you are unconscious and not likely to get better. Make sure he/she knows your feelings about life support and other lifesaving efforts. Go over the treatment consents with your advocate before you sign them. Make sure you both understand exactly what you are about to agree to. Make sure your advocate understands the care you need when you get home. He/she should know what to look for if your condition is getting worse and who to call for help. Know what medicines you take and why you take them. Medicine errors are the most common health care mistakes. Ask why you should take the medication. Ask for written information, brand and generic names and side effects of all medicines. If you do not recognize a medicine make sure it is for you. Ask about medicines before you swallow them. Read the contents of the bags of intravenous (IV) fluids. If you’re not well enough, ask your advocate to do it. If you are given an IV, ask how long it should take for the liquid to run out. Tell the nurse if it seems too fast or too slow. When you get a new medicine, tell your doctor/ nurses about your allergies, or negative reactions you have had to other medicines. If you are taking a lot of medicines, vitamins, herbs or over-the-counter drugs be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist if it is safe to take them together. Make sure you can read 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 a hospital, clinic, surgery center, or other type of health care organization that has been carefully checked by the Joint Commission for quality standards. Ask about the facility’s experience with your type of illness. How often do they perform the procedure you need? What special care do they provide to help patients get well? Ask your doctor which facility has the best care for your condition. Before you leave the facility, ask about followup care. Make sure you understand the instructions. Go to www.qualitycheck.org* to find out whether your health care organization is “accredited.” This means the organization works by rules that make sure patient safety and quality standards are followed. Participate in all decisions about your treatment. You are the center of the health care team. You and your doctor should agree on exactly what will be done during your care. Know who will be taking care of you, how long the treatment will last, and how you should feel. Understand that more tests or medications may not always be better. Ask your doctor how a new test or medication will help. Keep copies of your medical records to give to your health care team so they have information about your history. Don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion. If you are unsure about the best treatment, talk with additional doctors. The more information you have about treatment options, the better you will feel about your decisions. Talk to others who have had the same treatment or operation. They may help you prepare, tell you what to expect and what worked best for them. The goal of the Speak Up™ program is to help patients become more informed and involved in their health care. * Links will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs Web site. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked web sites. The link will open in a new window.

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