4/05 A new website has been established that may be helpful: http://psnet.ahrq.gov This site is called "'One-Stop' Patient Safety Resources Web Site" Excerpts from: Guarding Against Medical Errors: Patients Are Key Jan. 28, 2002 By Lisa Ellis Reported on Intelihealth.com (Harvard Medical School site) 1999 release of the report "To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System" from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. The report from the private institute, an advisory body to the U.S. government, estimates that 44,000 to 98,000 deaths occur each year in hospitals alone as the result of medical mistakes. Barry-Ipema and Drs. Gandhi and Kizer all emphasized that patients can help to prevent medical errors. If you're getting surgery on a knee, for instance, make sure the correct side is marked "yes" and the wrong side "no." Make sure all staff members in the operating room know what procedure they are going to perform, Dr. Kizer says. "Say, 'We're operating on my right leg, right?' Patients tend to be too bashful to do that. They assume that everybody knows. Patients should never assume anything," Dr. Kizer says. If you are not able to ask these questions yourself, you need to have an advocate such as a friend or relative to do it for you, Dr. Kizer and Dr. Gandhi say. "It's your body," adds Barry-Ipema. "I've worked in health care long enough to know that you need to take charge. Asking questions is a patient's right." How You Can Help Guard Against Errors Jan. 28, 2002 By Lisa Ellis InteliHealth News Service Experts say that you, as a patient, have one of the most important roles to play in protecting yourself from medical errors.Here are some tips for patients, compiled from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the U.S. government's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and interviews with experts. Active Participation Take part in every decision about your health care. Ask questions, and speak up about anything that you don't understand or that causes you concern. If you are not prepared to ask questions on your own behalf — because of personality, illness or other reasons — ask a family member or friend to fill this role for you. Medications Keep a list of everything you take. Make sure you know the dosages and the purpose of the medicines. Read medicine labels, including warnings. Learn what side effects to watch out for, whether the medicine has dangerous interactions with other drugs, and whether you should avoid certain activities — such as drinking alcohol or spending time in the sun — while you are taking it. If you have concerns or questions, ask your pharmacist or your doctor. Tell all of your doctors and your pharmacist about every drug you are taking, and any allergies. This includes prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, supplements and herbal products. Bring your medicines to your doctor appointments. Make sure the medicine you receive is what the doctor actually prescribed. If it looks different than what you expected, ask the pharmacist about it. Test Results Make sure you get the results of every test, and understand what they mean. If you do not hear about test results, never assume that everything is all right. Call your doctor's office and ask. Hospital Stays And Surgery Whenever possible, choose a hospital where many patients receive the same procedure that you need. There is no independent source of data in most states. Ask your doctor or hospital staff for the numbers. Ask the people who care for you if they have washed their hands. This may make them wash more often. If you are having surgery, make sure that you, your doctor and your surgeon all agree on what will be done during the operation. Ask about how long the procedure will take, the potential risks and complications, and what your recovery period may be like. Make sure that everyone who takes care of you in the hospital knows all important health information about you. This includes allergies, previous bad reactions to anesthesia, and all medications you have been taking — even over-the-counter drugs, herbal preparations and vitamins. Insist that your surgeon write his or her initials or words such as "yes" or "this side" (in permanent ink) on the part of the body that is supposed to be operated on (for example, a knee). It's even a good idea to write "no" or "not this side" on the opposite body part. Directly before the operation, ask to make sure that every person involved with the operation knows who you are, what operation you are having, and on what side of the body. Ask about any new medication you may receive. Make sure it's what your doctor ordered. When you are discharged, ask your doctor to explain your treatment plan, including any changes in medications, restrictions on activity and any therapy you may need. Abstract/Intro Pharmacotherapy, 3/02 Hospitals Use TOXIC Pesticides Joint Commission on Accrediation of Healthcare Orgs, 3/03 J Quality & Safety in Health Care, 4/03 Knight Ridder Newspapers Another reason why patients are looking at natural, non-toxic therapies Clinical Relevance of Doctor/Patient Empathy Up to 1.9 Million Adverse effects-180,000 FATAL Deaths in Error/Conventional Medicine Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 12/03 Reuters Health, 1/04 LINK to site with journal articles, newsletter, literature, tools and resources for patients www.preventingmedicalerros.com Health Services Res, 8/06 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.