Medical Mistakes Happen

More Americans die as a result of medical errors than from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS. Each year thousands of people are injured or die because of medical mistakes—many of which could have been avoided if the patient were more involved in his or her own healthcare. Patients who are more informed make better healthcare choices and improve the odds of avoiding medical errors. Understanding the diagnosis and treatment plan are first steps to becoming an active part of the healthcare team. Making decisions together is easier when patients talk to doctors and healthcare providers about medical concerns.

It’s everyone’s right to question anyone involved in his or her medical care. Questioning can make a difference in circumstances. For instance practitioners tend to use more soap and wash their hands longer when patients ask about handwashing. If someone is not comfortable asking these questions, perhaps a family member or friend could be there to speak up. Questions regarding prescriptions can prevent mistakes that commonly occur, such as not taking the right amount of a medication or taking it at the wrong time.

It’s also everyone’s right to know about his or her healthcare provider. There are websites that can help:
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has a Patient Safety Network at http://psnet.ahrq.org. They remind us to bring medicines to the doctor periodically to keep medical records up-to-date. Don’t forget to include all prescriptions, over-the-counter remedies, vitamins, herbs, and dietary supplements. If hospitalization or surgery is needed, they tell us to ask exactly what needs to be done and why—including any other treatment choices based on the latest scientific evidence.
The www.guideline.gov website helps the public to learn more about specific procedures and guidelines regarding treatment. Besides checking out patient safety and treatment guidelines, patients can also get consumer ratings and quality reports on healthcare providers.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans (CAHPS®) at www.ahrq.gov/qual/cahpsix.htm which compiles consumer opinions using surveys from various health plans.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance has the Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS) which reports on the safety of hospitals and healthcare providers at www.ncqa.org/Programs/HEDIS/.

Other ways to research healthcare information are available from each state’s Department of Health, libraries, or directly from healthcare providers. Accreditation information can also be found at:
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations www.jcaho.org/qualitycheck
The American Accreditation HealthCare Commission www.urac.org/accredited.htm
The National Committee for Quality Assurance www.ncqa.org
The Community Health Accreditation Program www.chapinc.org/chap-consumer.htm
SOURCE: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
www.ahrq.gov/consumer/qntlite/

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