With the rise in medical errors and hospital-related fatalities, there is a greater need than ever for safety rules in hospitals. Medical mistakes are not only dangerous, they can also be costly to both patients and doctors. In order to prevent these mistakes from happening, hospitals must implement safety standards to ensure the well-being of their patients.
Use A Checklist To Ensure That You Have All Of The Necessary Information
A checklist is an essential tool for ensuring that all of the necessary information is collected before beginning a procedure. The checklist should be used at every step of the process, from patient registration to disposal of sharps after surgery. In addition to including basic information such as patient name and date of birth, your hospital’s checklist should also include:
- Who has been contacted about this procedure?
- What drugs are being administered?
- Is there any allergies or preexisting conditions known about this patient?
Know What The Risks Of The Medical Procedure Are Before Going Through With It
Before you go through with a medical procedure, it’s important to know what the risks are, says Dr Michael Hilton New York. Ask your doctor questions like:
- What are the benefits of this procedure?
- What are alternative treatments or procedures?
- What is the success rate of this procedure in similar cases like mine?
- How much does it cost and what will it cost me out-of-pocket (if anything)? You can also ask about recovery time and whether there will be any restrictions on what you can do during recovery.
Request An Advocate If You Are A Minor Or Too Ill
If you’re a minor, or too ill to make your own decisions about your care, then an advocate is someone who speaks up for you. The advocate can be a parent or other family member. If no one is available in this role, it might be helpful to ask your doctor if they are willing to act as an advocate for you.
If you don’t have anyone who can serve as your advocate during treatment at the hospital but would like one anyway: Ask! Many hospitals have staff members whose job it is specifically fulfilling requests like this one–and they’ll probably be happy to help out (as long as it doesn’t interfere with their primary work).
Follow Instructions As Closely As Possible
As a patient, it is your responsibility to follow the doctor’s orders as closely as possible, according to Dr Michael Hilton New York. If you are unsure of what is asked of you or how to do something, ask questions! If this doesn’t solve the issue, then seek help from another member of staff.
You may even want to speak with someone who has had experience in similar situations before–for example, if your doctor tells you that they would like for you to take off all clothing except for underwear but there isn’t anyone else around at the moment (or if this makes you feel uncomfortable), then don’t hesitate before asking another nurse or technician what they would do in such an instance.
