Patients have role in creating safer hospital experience, healthcare workers say
Friday September 21, 2007 -- Natalie Miller
Patients play a role in ensuring their stay in hospital is a safe experience, say patient safety workers.

Those in hospital have a responsibility to ask questions, follow instructions and make sure they understand the follow-up procedures upon their discharge.

“Patients have a part in their care,” says patient safety specialist Rosanne Zimmerman.

“They have to be able to speak up, ask questions and understand their plan of care,” she says.

Zimmerman’s role involves supporting the co-ordination, planning and integration of patient safety initiatives and education into the culture of Hamilton Health Sciences in Ontario.

The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) campaign that encourages patients to take an active role in their care is one way patients can be involved, she says.

Shirley Atkinson, manager of quality and risk management at Rouge Valley Health System, agrees.

“Patients do have a role in creating a safe environment,” she says.

Atkinson says the hospital has recognized this role and a policy called ‘Educating Patients/Families on their Roles in Patient Safety’ was approved in March 2007 which outlines the role of healthcare providers and provides consumer education guidelines.

She says Rouge Valley, which has sites in Scarborough and Ajax Ontario, was commended by the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation for its “comprehensive approach to ensuring that staff consistently inform patients of their role in patient safety.”

The hospital has created a brochure for inpatients, outpatients and their families outlining how patients and families can ensure their safety while in hospital and after discharge. “This brochure outlines such things as what patients should understand before they are discharged, for example, whether they have a prescription,” Atkinson says.

At both sites, Rouge Valley has posted material from the OHA – "Your Health Care – Be Involved" in English, Chinese and Tamil throughout the hospitals.

"Your Health Care – Be Involved" is an initiative developed by the OHA’s Patient Safety Support Service with funding from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

"Your Health Care – Be Involved" provides patients with five tips aimed at engaging and encouraging them to be more involved in their healthcare.

“The initiative is guided by the concept of patient empowerment and on the important role patients can play at each stage in their care,” states material on the OHA website.

The five tips are:

• Be involved in your health care. Speak up if you have questions or concerns about your care.
• Tell a member of your health care team about your past illnesses and your current health condition.
• Bring all of your medicines with you when you go to the hospital or to a medical appointment.
• Tell a member of your health care team if you have ever had an allergic or bad reaction to any medicine or food.
• Make sure you know what to do when you go home from the hospital or from your medical appointment.