PREVENTION

Tips for Preventing Medical Errors

Studies have shown that hospitals which rarely perform a certain operation or surgical procedure are more likely to commit some type of error; whether it’s due to lack of equipment or facilities, unprepared nurses, less proficient physicians, or a combination of these or other factors. Always find out how often your particular procedure is performed, as well as the hospital or physician’s rate of adverse effects. It is also wise to inquire as to the hospital’s rating by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations for its latest inspection. Please refer to the links section of this web site.

Insist that the physician performing your procedure is at least board certified to perform the procedure. A better gauge, however, is to ask your physician how many of these procedures he has done, who he trained with, etc.

Make sure you know exactly who will be taking part in the operation---doctors, anesthesiologist, nurses, etc. Don’t hesitate to ask whether they will be monitoring you throughout the entire proceeding.

Before you go into an operation, be sure you have checked the record of your physician to see whether any malpractice suits have been filed against him. However, just because a suit has been filed in the past does not necessarily mean that your physician was at fault. It should raise a flag though pending further investigation for any avoidable errors.

Never sign a hospital form unless all the details are clear. People are often in the habit of signing on the dotted line without ever having taken a look at the small print. For cases involving your health, it is always better to be overly cautious.

Never sign a living will unless you have been diagnosed with a fatal condition and have had a second or even third opinion.

Know the alternative approaches to handling your particular condition. There may be another physician who specializes in another kind of treatment that is less invasive or traumatic on the body.

Request that the hospital or your physician write down a description of the operation, citing possible complications and their causes, as well as how frequently these have occurred in the past.

It doesn’t hurt to actually designate someone to be the official watchdog for your operation or procedure. Many individuals who want to minimize the risk of error have someone close to them do this or actually hire a private patient advocate to observe the procedure. The idea is that if healthcare professionals know they are being somewhat monitored, they are less prone to commit a careless act that could have unfortunate consequences.

Take an active role in finding out about the medication you are being given. Always inform your physician about any dangerous drug interactions that you may have experienced in the past. Even though the physician should be aware of this information, it doesn’t mean that this is always the case. It is always better to be overly cautious than to be the victim of a heinous medical mistake.

Make sure that all healthcare personnel who are attending to your condition have washed their hands and are not at risk for causing infection, etc.

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