Work in Partnership With Your Health Professional to Prevent Medical Errors

Other Steps You Can Take to Prevent Medical Errors

• Speak up if you have questions or concerns. You have a right to question anyone who is involved with your care.
• Make sure that someone, such as your personal doctor, is in charge of your care. This is especially important if you have many health problems or are in a hospital.
• Make sure that all health professionals involved in your care have important health information about you. Do not assume that everyone knows everything they need to know.
• Ask a family member or friend to be there with you and to be your advocate. This should be someone who can help get things done and speak up for you if you are not able to do this for yourself. Even if you think you don't need help now, you might need it later. Make sure the person who will make decisions for you if you are not able to (your advocate) knows what you prefer for your care.
• Know that “more” is not always “better.” It is a good idea to find out why a test or treatment is needed and how it can help you. You might be better off without it.
• If you have a test, don't assume that no news is good news. Ask when and how you will get the results of tests or procedures. If you do not get them when expected, don't assume that the results are fine. Call your health professional and ask for the results. Also ask what the results mean in relationship to your treatment.
• Learn about your condition and treatment by asking your health professionals and by using other reliable sources. Ask your health professional if your treatment is based on the latest evidence. Guidelines for treatment and preventive screening may also be available online from professional medical associations, such as the Canadian Medical Association Infobase at mdm.ca/cpgsnew/cpgs, and from public agencies, such as the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (CTFPHC) Web site at www.ctfphc.org. Many treatment recommendations based on the latest scientific evidence are available on the Web site of the U.S. National Guideline Clearinghouse at www.guideline.gov.

Get more information. For more information about medical errors, see the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) Web site at www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca. Additional information is available from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Web site at www.ahrq.gov/qual.

The following documents from the CPSI Web site are especially useful:

• The Ontario Hospital Association’s Patient Safety Support Service: Patient Brochure
• Safety Tips for Nova Scotians: Being Involved in Your Care

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also has a helpful article called "Think it Through: A Guide to Managing the Benefits and Risks of Medicines." Call 1-888-878-3256 to get a copy of this article.

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Author:	Sabra L. Katz-Wise Ralph Poore Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC	Last Updated: December 15, 2006
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine
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