It’s OK to speak up!
Three questions every patient should be asking their health care provider.
Article Author: Johnny Woodhouse
Article Date:
When it comes to your health, you are the expert. You are an important part of your health care team, and you can make your care safer by speaking up. The National Patient Safety Foundation encourages patients and family members to communicate with their health care providers.
As a patient, it's OK to inquire about any signs and symptoms you should be aware of or ask to have your treatment options thoroughly explained. Patients should know that bringing a family member or friend along to health care appointments is not only OK but recommended. Patients should also follow up with their provider for test results. Getting your test results, no matter how they are reported, is essential.
“Making sure patients and families feel that it's OK to speak up and ask questions is really a critical element in patient safety," said Tejal K. Gandhi, MD, chief clinical and safety officer for the Institute for Healthcare Awareness. “We encourage people to report problems when they see them, and take action to correct them."
Added Cory Meyers, vice president of Risk, Privacy and Patient Safety for Baptist Health: “If we don’t know about a problem, we can’t fix it. We want to know about possible issues so we can prevent them from recurring and avoid harm.”
At Baptist Health, patients and families can report patient safety issues to the Patient Safety Hotline: 904.202.SAFE (7233).