[From the National Patient Safety Foundation]
Including specific steps you can take in the following areas:
- Becoming a more informed health care consumer
- Keeping track of your history
- Working with your doctor and other health care professionals as a team
- Involving a family member or friend in your care
- Following the treatment plan agreed upon by you and your doctor
[From the UCSF Medical Center]
Recommendations include:
- When your doctor writes you a prescription, make sure you can read it.
- Ask for information about your medicines in terms you can understand — both when your medicines are prescribed and when you receive them.
- When you are being discharged from the hospital, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist to explain the treatment plan you will use at home.
[From the National Patient Safety Foundation]
Recommendations include:
- Wash your hands carefully after handling any type of soiled material.
- Since you are part of your healthcare team, do not be afraid to remind doctors and nurses about washing their hands before working with you.
- Let your nurse know if your dressings become loose or wet.
[From the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)]
- Tips for buying medicines, medical devices, and radiation-emitting products
- Summaries of recent safety alerts, prompted by reports received by FDA from health care professionals and their patients
- Advice on how to report fraudulent or dangerous products
[From the UCSF Medical Center, Department of Radiology]
You can find more patient safety resources on the UCSF Patient Health Library's Health Information Websites page.
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