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Help Prevent Errors in Your Care

Did you know that, each year, preventable medication errors in the hospital account for more than 7,000 deaths? A preventable medication error may be one that results from the pharmacist’s misreading a handwritten prescription.  According to To Err Is Human, a November 1999 report from the Institute of Medicine, other serious errors occur as well, such as preventable infections and a wrong procedure for the patient or a procedure performed at the wrong site.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is part of The National Academy of Sciences which was created by the federal government to be an adviser on scientific and technological matters. The IOM's mission is to serve as adviser to the nation to improve health.
This is why it is so important to be involved in your health care. Speak up! If you have questions or concerns about your health care, let someone know. You should understand as much as you can about any medical problems (diagnoses) you have, any test or procedure you will undergo, and any medication you are taking and how to take it. 

Important tools to help you find the hospitals in your area with the highest quality ratings can be found at the Leap Frog Group Web site: www.leapfroggroup.org/cp

To learn more on how you can help prevent errors in your care, read these brochures sponsored by the Joint Commission International Center for Patient Safety or visit their Web site.

How to help prevent medication errors.

How to help prevent medical treatment errors.

Wrong site surgery.

How to prevent infection.

Learn more about patient safety from the following fact sheets, developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Five Steps to Safer Health Care

20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors

20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors in Children

Ways You Can Help Your Family Prevent Medical Errors!

Other helpful resources:

Infection Prevention Tips for Adults

Tips for Surgery Patients to Prevent Antibiotic Resistance

By being an active, involved, and informed member of your health care team, you can help make sure you don’t become a medical error statistic. 

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