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Information and links to help support patients and families in the frequently challenging journey through the healthcare system, and its aftermath. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of resources. Patients and families are advised to do their own searches for information and authorities that are relevant to their specific circumstances and patient safety issues. Let us know if you think there are any links or resources that should be added.
What is a MEDICAL error?
“An act of commission (doing something wrong) or omission (failing to do the right thing) that leads to an undesirable outcome or significant potential for such an outcome. For instance, ordering a medication for a patient with a documented allergy to that medication would be an act of commission. Failing to prescribe a proven medication with major benefits for an eligible patient (e.g., low-dose unfractionated heparin as venous thromboembolism prophylaxis for a patient after hip replacement surgery) would represent an error of omission”. Source: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality | Patient Safety Network | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
What is a MEDICATION error?
“A medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer. Such events may be related to professional practice, health care products, procedures, and systems, including prescribing, order communication, product labeling, packaging, and nomenclature, compounding, dispensing, distribution, administration, education, monitoring, and use.” Source: National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention
See also the Patient Safety Dictionary, National Patient Safety Foundation
For Canadian patients:
Quick Tips, Facts and Stats:
- 3 Rs for Safer Care NOW (The Center for Patient Protection)
- Speak Up to Prevent Medical Errors (Joint Commission)
- Know Your Rights (Joint Commission)
- 30 Safe Practices for Better Health Care (AHRQ)
- 20 Tips to Prevent Medical Errors (AHRQ)
- 10 Things You Can Do to be a Safe Patient (CDC)
- 5 Steps to Safer Healthcare
- Did You Know? Archive of Adverse Events (AHRQ)
- Error Disclosure and Apology (AHRQ)
What To Do if You are Harmed in a Hospital (Pro Publica Series)
Huffington Post articles on medical errors
Recent News & Commentary by The Center and Kathleen Finlay
New York Times articles on medical errors
Tools for Rating Hospitals:
- Take health care into your own hands (HealthCare.gov)
- Hospital Comparison Site by Medicare (for Hospital Acquired Condition Measures)
- Hospital Comparison Site by Medicare (for Hospital Associated Infections)
- Hospital Ratings by Consumers Union
- How Safe is Your Local Hospital?
- National State-by-State Ranking of Hospital Safety Score
- Ratings on Doctors and Hospitals (Healthgrades)
- Rate My Hospital (CBC Score)
Canadian Comparison Tools (Limited information presented in a manner generally inaccessible to patients and families)
Other Helpful Links:
- AARP
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- AGS Beers Criteria
for Potentially Inappropriate
Medication Use in Older Adults - American Hospital Association
- American Pharmacists Association
- American Society of Health System Pharmacists
- A.S.P.E.N. Enteral Nutrition Practice Recommendations
- Be MedWise
- Centers for Disease Control
- Food and Drug Administration
- Food and Drug Administration – MedWatch Program
- Institute for Patient and Family Centered Care
- Institute for Safe Medication Practices
- ISMP Alert (Preventing Errors When Administering Drugs Through an Enteral Tube)
- The Joint Commission
- National Council on Patient Information and Education
- Medication Use Safety Training
- Medicine Safety
- National Coordinating Council for Medication Error, Reporting and Prevention
- National Institutes of Health
- National Patient Safety Foundation
- National Quality Forum
- Partnership for Prescription Assistance
- Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
- SeniorCarePharmacist.com
- United States Pharmacopeia
- University of Arizona Medical Center Guide for Trauma Patients
- Canadian Patient Safety Institute
- Health Canada
- Health Quality Ontario (Hospital self-reporting under certain key categories of patient safety)
- Healthy Debate
- Institute for Safe Medication Practices (Canada)
- Our Health Systems
- Suggested patient complaint resolution process from the Canadian Patient Safety Institute
- Canadian Disclosure Guidelines: Being Open with Patients and Families
Major Patient Safety Initiatives:
- Report by the staff of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, (D, CA) citing preventable hospital medical errors as third leading cause of death in U.S.
[/one_half][one_half_last]Informative Videos
- U.S. Senate Hearings into Hospital Harm
- PBS Segment on Hospital Harm
- Consumers Union on Respect and Hospital Care
- ABC News on Surgery Errors
- Hospital-Acquired Infections
- HAI Video from CDC
- HAI Video from 3M Canada
- The Hidden Dangers of Seroquel from ABC News Australia
More Major Patient Safety Initiatives:
Patient Safety, Science & Technology Movement
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Lucian Leape Institute of the National Patient Foundation
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
World Health Organization (Patients for Patient Safety)
What To Do if You are Harmed in a Hospital
Pro Publica Series on Hospital Harm
Pro Publica Series on Patient Safety
More Patient and Family Driven Initiatives:
- Patient Safety America
- Washington Advocates for Patient Safety
- Harmed by Medical Error on Facebook
- The Empowered Patient Coalition
- The Emily Jerry Foundation
- FairCare Canada on Facebook
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