The Patient's Role in Safety
Treating patients as partners
Q: What are some examples of safety topics you should regularly cover with patients?
A: Hand washing, isolation procedures, medications, normal equipment operation, lab results, and illegible instructions or prescriptions.
The Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goal 13 states that organizations must encourage patients' active involvement in their own care as a patient safety strategy. It requires that organizations define and communicate the means for patients and their families to report concerns about safety and encourage them to do so.
Communication with patients and families about all aspects of their care, treatment, or services is an important characteristic of a culture of safety. When patients know what to expect, they are more aware of possible errors and choices. Patients can be an important source of information about potential adverse events and hazardous conditions.
Engaging patients in their own safety does not need to be difficult, expensive, or time prohibitive. Patients can help identify potential errors as they observe and participate in their own care. They can also help reduce the effects of errors that have occurred by informing clinicians of adverse outcomes so that actions can be taken promptly.
As staff members, you should educate patients about the risk of errors and how to prevent them. Safety topics may include hand washing, isolation procedures, medications, normal equipment operation, lab results, and illegible instructions or prescriptions. Patients should be encouraged to speak up with any and all questions. Consider distributing the Joint Commission's "Speak Up"TM buttons for staff to wear to encourage patient involvement. When a patient expresses a concern, thank him or her for being involved and double-check if the procedure or treatment is called for in the care plan.
Urge patients to become active, involved, and informed participants on the health care team. For example, patients should ask staff if they washed their hands before an examination and be involved in marking the site for invasive procedures.
Following hospital policy, staff should approach errors with full, honest, and open disclosure. After an incident, staff needs to contact the family, meet to explain what happened, apologize if necessary, and offer assistance.
Patient representatives (such as an ombudsman, social worker, or patient advocate) are trained in patient safety issues related to medical errors. Use these representatives' services and publicize their presence to patients and the community.