Dear Colleague,

We read and hear so much about patient safety, such as prevention of medication errors, falls, pressure ulcers, etc. and we have employed strategies to include patients themselves in safety efforts (my medication administration process always included asking the patient himself to state his name – part of the “right patient” component of the rights of medication administration). However it was with great interest that I read Acute Care Patients Discuss the Patient Role in Patient Safety. What do patients believe their role is in ensuring their safety?

In this study, 491 respondents, who were recent patients, provided an open-ended response regarding what they believe the patient role should be. The following common themes were identified:

Acute Care Patients Discuss the Patient Role in Patient Safety Cultivating Quality: Implementing Standardized Reporting and Safety Checklists Safety Monitor: Safe Intrahospital Transport of Non-ICU Patients Patient Safety: Scoring Patients For Fire Risk Adds To Safety Teaching Patient Safety in Simulated Learning Experiences Creative Strategies to Improve Patient Safety: Allergies and Adverse Drug Reactions

• patients should follow instructions given by care providers
• patients should ask questions and become informed about their conditions and treatments
• patients should expect competent care (however the results suggest that patients believe they should be able to trust that they are being provided competent care, rather than assuming a leadership role in their own safety).

You can read more about patient safety by exploring the articles in More Resources. You may also want to check out our collection Focus On: Patient Safety.

Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP
Clinical Editor

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