Patient Safety Awareness Week 2018; Include the Patient & Family Ideas

"Happy” Patient Safety Awareness Week

It’s another Patient Safety Awareness Week March 11 - 17, 2018

and though I use the word “happy” loosely, I am happy that we are talking about patient safety. – well at least some of us are.  We have a long way to go and I will share with you my humble opinion on what that should, could or would look like if the patient and their family had a voice. I will even tell you how we should get there.

1.    Patient safety MUST be brought into middle and high schools

Children must be taught what they should be talking to their doctor about and what an appropriate exam is.  If the young women from the Olympic gymnastics team knew what to expect at an exam, they may have been more empowered to tell someone that they were being molested.

Make Patient Involvement part of the health curriculum

2.    There must be patient support or facilitated discussions for people who use the healthcare system.  Specifically, for underserved and minority groups.  African American women are dying from complications at child birth at alarming rates.  People who are transgender often avoid seeking care because of uneducated healthcare professionals and young mothers living in shelters don’t always understand how to prepare for their visit or their child’s medical appointment or know what an emergency might look like.

The ASK for Your Life Campaign is one example of how community workshops can help empower people

3.    Classes for family advocates can be offered in adult education, churches and community groups to be sure the family can understand patient safety and be helpful to their loved ones needs.  Navigating the healthcare system is difficult during a crisis whether it’s about safety, billing or discharge, without proper preparation the burden falls on medical staff who are often overworked and unaware of a patient or their family’s full needs.

Pulse Family Centered Patient Advocacy Training covers much of the items addressed.

4.    Policies need to be developed that during patient discharge at a hospital, staff must explain pain medication addiction and dependency.  As a bedside advocate for the past 10 years with over 1,000 hours at the bedside I have never heard or seen the discussion about pain medication and the relationship to addiction and dependency (including in March 2018)

While states are focused on rehab and pharmacy / physician accountability, the discussion needs to start before the prescription is given.  This can also be done with the Pulse Dedicated Medication Manager (DMM)

5.    Although there is health literacy and communication training for healthcare professionals, there should be for the public.  We keep hearing that there is a problem with Opioids but do people (young or old) know what they are?  If a patient is sent home with Vicodin, Codeine or Oxycodone, they may not see the risk.  Do patients understand what an MRI is or the difference between a nursing home, rehab or assisted living?

A person to be hospitalized might learn ahead through nonprofit support organizations how to explain in their own words what they understand and don’t.  If  they think they know what the doctor is talking about, they may not understand the importance of repeating it back

This is my short list.  If you agree and want to see these changes made please share this message with others.  Pulse CPSEA has been doing all the above for years.  I hope we can spread this work by inviting nonprofit organizations to the 2018 Patient SafetyEducation Symposium for an afternoon of learning on May 4, 2018.  Participants will then be invited to apply for a grant to help their organization educate members or the community they serve!