; Your Health
lives were
saved
in 18 months
when Michigan
ICUs began
using a
checklist
of practices
for handling
catheters.
of the surgical site. A couple
of hospitals, for example,
were using pens whose ink
washed off during surgical
prep, making the marks useless. Flaws in this process
vary from one hospital or surgery center to another, says
Mark Chassin, M.D., president of the Joint Commission, the major accrediting
organization for hospitals.
Other, apparently straight-
forward problems—like
health care workers not
washing their hands—have
proved surprisingly stub-
born. Only about half of hos-
pital workers follow hand-
washing guidelines, despite
excellent staff training and
ubiquitous hand sanitizer
dispensers at many hospitals,
says Robert Wachter, M.D., a
patient safety expert at the
University of California, San
Francisco. He points out an
airline pilot would be disci-
plined or fired for ignoring
safety rules. But while pe-
nalizing careless individuals
remains controversial—and
largely untried—in health
care, activists have made
hospitals more accountable.
Katharine Greider is a freelance writer in New York who
reports on health and science.
; Bring an advocate—
a friend or family
member—especially
for check-in and
discharge. Many hospitals have a patient
advocate or staff person you can consult.
Or you can hire your
Protect Yourself From Hospital Errors
Advocates agree that patients can minimize
their risks by keeping a close eye on their care.
Hospitals are busy places with lots of moving
parts. “You cannot assume that people in the
hospital have a really clear idea of who you are
or why you’re there,” says Jean Rexford, director
of the Connecticut Center for Patient Safety.
Here are some tips on how to protect yourself:
own advocate, but be
aware that the pro-
fession lacks licensing
requirements, so get
referrals and check
credentials.
; Bring a notebook.
Write down all your
medications, why you
take them and who
prescribed them. In-
clude phone numbers
of key personal and
medical contacts
(and don’t forget your
cellphone and char-
ger). In the hospital,
when questions arise,
write them down.
; Bring a big bottle of
hand sanitizer. Put it
by your bed to remind
you and the staff to
keep hands clean.
For More:
; Hospitalcompare
. hhs.gov
; Agency for Health-
care Research and
Quality, ahrq.gov
; Consumers Union,
consumerreports.org
; Connecticut Center
for Patient Safety
(“ 5 Things to Know”),
ctcps.org
