Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors In Your Care

Patient safety is always at the forefront of healthcare to ensure patient care is safe and effective. Despite the best efforts of healthcare professional’s medicine errors continue to be the greatest threat to patient safety. Subsequently about 98,000 individuals die each year from medical errors in U.S. hospitals (Tzeng, Yin, and Schneider 2013). For this purpose, in March 2011 The Joint Commission published Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care. The purpose of this brochure is to educate society on the importance of being proactive before making health care decisions. In any event, this brochure is advantageous to ages ranging from mature adolescents to older adult.
Speak up whenever you have questions or concerns regarding your treatment. Illness is inevitable, you have a right to know what type of care you will be receiving when that time comes. Even though you are overflowing with fear do not be afraid to inquire to your health care professional concerning your safety. In other words, if you speak a different language request a medical interpreter to confirm you agree with the treatment. Speak up if you think you are about to receive the wrong medication or the provider has confused you with a different patient.
Pay attention to the treatment you receive, verify that you receive the correct treatment and medications by the …show more content…
Great resources to get information include your physician, library, support groups, and Websites such as Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) (Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care[Brochure], n.d.). Always read medical documents before signing anything also ask for clarification when you do not understand. For this reason, ask someone you can trust that will communicate effectively on your behalf to be your advocate. Verify that your advocate respects your choices and understands the type of care you