Talking with Your Doctor

Talking with your doctor can be hard, but it’s important to keep the lines of communication open. Being in the hospital can be a stressful situation, so it’s important to know some of common terms and situations you may experience in a hospital to ensure a safe and quick recovery.

What is the difference between patient safety and quality?

The difference between patient safety and quality has been debated for some time. Safety was described as one of the six elements of quality healthcare in a 2001 Institute of Medicine report, “Crossing the Quality Chasm,” and is recognized as an important element of an effective, efficient healthcare system.

Take control and be part of your healthcare team

Your nurses, doctors and loved ones all want the same outcome: for you to get better quickly. As the patient, you are in the unique position of actually experiencing the care throughout the entire journey in the hospital. As part of the healthcare team, it’s important that you speak up and keep the following in mind:

To ensure safe care, it is important to participate as best you or your invited loved one/advocate can by reacting to anything that appears to be unsafe. Seeing yourself as an integral member of your healthcare team can help make this happen.

What are adverse events?

An adverse event is a health problem resulting from the medical care you receive. Some adverse events are preventable, others are not. Preventable adverse events are those associated with error or mistakes. Adverse events can affect your health in minor or major ways. If you have suffered an adverse event it’s important to keep notes about it. If possible, discuss it with your healthcare team, as it could be preventable in the future for you or someone else. In this way, adverse events can provide patients and their healthcare team opportunities to learn. Talking about them openly and honestly helps that to happen. For example, if you have a reaction to latex gloves, the next time you visit a care provider, tell them so it doesn’t happen again.

What should I do if I see an error made in the hospital?

Let someone know immediately. It is important for everyone’s eyes and ears to be in tune to the surroundings in order to prevent and stop mistakes. The following steps should be taken to report a mistake you witness in the hospital:

What is a patient advocate and why should I have one?

When you are a patient, you are not on top of your game; you are not well, and you could be medicated or in pain. It is a good idea to have a designated person who is able to keep up to date with, and is knowledgeable about, your care. A patient or healthcare advocate watches out for you while you are in the hospital, allowing you to focus on recovering while also reducing the stress felt by your family members, allowing them to offer their full support. The advocate may also follow-up with you after hospitalization to ensure your care process is finalized appropriately. Retaining a patient advocate is an important strategy to help control your care, and the post-hospitalization administration and management related to your stay.

There are several types of patient advocates: in-hospital, non-profit, for-profit and independent.

A healthcare or patient advocate could be a family member, but does not have to be. It is important that the person you choose is ready for the job, and ideally has a healthcare background or experience either as a hospitalized patient or with a loved one’s hospitalization. Just because someone is concerned for you does not mean that he/she can play this assertive role in your care. If you do not know someone personally to fulfill this job on your behalf, the hospital or your community may have directories or placement services to identify an advocate for you. Be sure to let your family and friends know who your advocate is in order minimize friction during this stressful time.

The National Patient Safety Foundation recommends taking into consideration the following criteria when choosing an advocate. Your advocate should: