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Reduce Your Risks

The Institute of Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health, reports that each year preventable medical errors cause injury or illness to hundreds of thousands of hospital patients, and perhaps as many as 98,000 deaths.

As a patient, you can reduce the risk of medical error. The first step is to consider safety when choosing a hospital; Why Quality Matters provides some general information on patient safety. Specific information on patient safety for each hospital is provided in the hospital profile, which can be reached by searching on the home page of this site.

You, and the family member or friend who acts as your advocate in the hospital (see Arrange Support Network), can also make yourselves aware of the most common risks of injury and illness in the hospital. Armed with information, you can take steps to prevent them.

Infections. In-hospital infections are a serious problem. Any member of the hospital staff who touches you or uses equipment that touches you, must wash his or her hands first. If you are not certain this has been done, politely ask. Visitors, too, should wash their hands. And no one should be allowed to visit you if they feel ill. Also, be sure to report any loose or uncomfortable dressings, sutures, intravenous connections, or catheters – these are frequently the sites of in-hospital infections. Several Web sites provide information on the prevention of in-hospital infections; to learn more, go to the nonprofit Committee to Reduce Infection Death.

Medication and Procedure Mistakes. Before you are given any medication or procedure, make sure the nurse or technician asks your name or checks your hospital ID bracelet and checks your chart to make sure it is the right treatment for you. Also, ask what the medicine or treatment is. If you are not certain why you are getting it, ask which doctor ordered it and for what purpose. If the answer does not satisfy you, refuse the medicine or procedure and ask to speak with your treating physician.

Pressure Ulcers. Pressure ulcers, also known as bed sores, can occur even during a short hospital stay, sometimes within hours of admission. Noticing a sore early can prevent pain and infection. But medication and discomfort can mask the early sensations of a bed sore. Be sure to tell a nurse or aide if you feel any discomfort under your body, however slight.

Falls. Many patients are encouraged to sit up and walk as soon as they can, to promote recovery and to avoid pressure ulcers and blood clots. But some patients try to move or walk before they are physically ready to do so, resulting in a fall and possibly a serious injury. This is particularly true for patients taking medication that can affect balance and cloud judgment. Always ask – even if you must do so frequently – for assistance from the hospital staff when getting in and out of bed or a chair, or retrieving something that is out of reach.

“Wrong Site” Surgeries. Wrong site surgeries are very rare. But the consequences are so serious that it is worth making sure your doctors and hospital staff take simple steps to prevent such an error. Staff should ask you where on your body the surgery is to be performed and compare your answer to the information on your medical charts. Staff may also mark the spot on your body where the surgery is to be performed.

To find out more about medical errors and the things you, your doctors, and the hospital can do to prevent them, you may want to look at the publications offered by the federal government's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.