When people are in the hospital, errors in care can occur. In the hospital, care is complicated, the environment is stressful, many different people and systems have to work together, and health care professionals can be asked to work under conditions that cause fatigue and/or sleep deprivation. As a result, hospital care is not as safe as it should be. Some experts contend that each year in the United States, preventable medical errors contribute to the death of up to 250,000 people (although not all experts agree). Medical errors are an important cause of death in the United States.
Errors may include the following:
Giving people the wrong medication, the wrong dose, or a medication they are allergic to
Scheduling tests for or giving medications to the wrong person
Doing a surgical procedure on the wrong side or wrong part of the body
Overlooking important test results
Over the past decade, hospitals in the United States have made much progress in designing systems to identify and prevent errors in care.
However, one of the best ways to help prevent errors is for people to participate in their care by asking questions and learning about their treatment. Steps they can take include
Providing an accurate list of the medications they take at home
Providing a list of their medication allergies
Understanding why certain medications are being given in the hospital and why tests are being done
Learning the names of the medications that are prescribed and given to them, as well as the doses and number of times the medications are given each day
Each time a nurse gives them a medication, asking the nurse to tell them the name of the medication and the reason it is being given
Asking about the results of any tests that have been done
Asking health care professionals to wash their hands before doing an examination
Asking hospital staff members to address them by name
Getting a written list of medications they are supposed to take and of follow-up instructions when they are discharged
Making sure that they, their doctor, and their surgeon all agree and are clear on exactly what will be done during any surgical procedure
Asking questions if something does not seem right
Asking a family member or friend to be with them and to ask questions on their behalf
People have a right to know if there has been an error in their care. If there is an error, they should ask the doctor or nurse to
Explain the nature of the error and the effect it will have on their health
Investigate how the error happened
Report the error to hospital administrators so that systems can be designed to prevent similar errors
Ask to see a representative from the hospital (hospital patient advocate) if they have additional concerns
