Why I Won't Protest for Patient Safety

Patient Safety Protests?

As Patient Safety Awareness Week closes for another year, I want to share some insight.  This week was also the one-month anniversary of the tragic Florida shootings that led to the death of 17 people.  High school students around the country walked out of classes to remember the dead but also protest for better gun control laws.  I’m not going to share my opinion about gun control.  That’s not what I do. 

I have seen patient safety activists / advocates like myself bring up the subject again about demonstrating and marching for patient safety and patients right.  That’s what I want to address.

I am all for demonstrations. As a matter of fact, in the late 90’s I organized some and led some.  I did so with a common theme that we all wanted information about our doctor’s backgrounds made public.  Legislation was pending that would make it a law for doctor’s information to be made public.  What school they went to, the year they became licensed, their practice information and their discipline record.  We moved forward and the legislation was finally passed in October 2000 but there was still concern that a doctor can have 10 lawsuits pending and discipline action pending and until it was “proven” we still need to be vigilant in our choosing our doctors.  Physician profiles was a tool, it was not a guarantee and we, as patients still needed and need to be cautious.

In the late 90’s we had a specific goal.  Educate the public on the lack of information available about your doctor and call or write your legislator to pass this legislation.  For me, it was never about a “good” or “bad” doctor.  It was about my right to have information to make an educated choice – as educated as possible.

Now, come back to modern day and the interest in protesting or marching.  What would the march be about? Patients - Rights?  NY State has 22 patient’s rights.  How many patients know what they are?  If you don’t, look it up on the Internet and make sure you know what they are.

Today there are hundreds and maybe thousands of people like myself who wish to demonstrate – make themselves heard, make their pain known about the loss of a loved one.  But what is the final outcome?  Some people believe hand washing and preventing infections is top priority.  What about our right to see medical records, medication safety or even disclosing medical errors.  Some people want accountability – does that mean punishment for one human being accidentally harming another?  What about the car accident where my insurance compensates someone I might injure?  Could I / you be the one who accidentally causes harm to another?

Do you really want to see a nurse who has worked hard her whole adult life to save lives be punished for a mistake?   The pharmacists who mixes up medication or the doctor who tried to get the diagnosis correct but missed the mark?

Try to find a lawyer to take a case of the 90 - year old who was misdiagnosed or the baby with a serious birth defect given a lethal dose of medication and dies.    We know how hard it is to find lawyers.  Maybe we should protest that lawyers should take all cases?  An elderly patient that doesn’t have her call bell answered and gets up and falls - or stays in a urine-soaked bed that leaves horrid infection?

We, as a society need to stop thinking the people who work in health care taking all the responsibility. We as a society of patients, family members and friends MUST start taking more responsibility by speaking up, writing letters to hospital leadership of what you see and making sure we are all part of the solution.