Member Safety
Independent Care has taken steps to
educate and actively involve members with their health care. We believe
that a frequent and consistent message on patient safety will help you to
reduce the potential for error in your health care. The Five Steps to Safer
Health Care was developed by the federal government with this goal in mind.
Five Steps to Safer Health Care
1. Speak
up if you have questions or concerns.
Choose a doctor whom you feel comfortable talking to about your health and
treatment. Take a relative or friend with you if this will help you ask
questions and understand the answers. It's okay to ask questions and to
expect answers you can understand.
2. Keep
a list of all the medicines you take.
Tell your doctor and pharmacist about the medicines that you take, including
over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and dietary
supplements like vitamins and herbals. Tell them about any drug allergies
you have. Ask the pharmacist about side effects and what foods or other
things to avoid while taking the medicine. When you get your medicine, read
the label, including warnings. Make sure it is what your doctor ordered,
and you know how to use it. If the medicine looks different than you
expected, ask the pharmacist about it.
3. Make
sure you get the results of any test or procedure.
Ask your doctor or nurse when and how you will get the results of tests or
procedures. If you do not get them when expected -- in person, on the
phone, or in the mail – don’t assume the results are fine. Call your doctor
and ask for them. Ask what the results mean for your care.
4. Talk
with your doctor and health care team about your options if you need
hospital care. If you have more than
one hospital to choose from, ask your doctor which one has the best care and
results for your condition. Hospitals do a good job of treating a wide
range of problems. However, for some procedures (such as heart bypass
surgery), research shows results often are better at hospitals doing a lot
of these procedures. Also, before you leave the hospital, be sure to ask
about follow-up care, and be sure you understand the instructions.
5. Make sure you understand what will
happen if you need surgery. Ask your doctor and surgeon: Who will take
charge of my care while I'm in the hospital? Exactly what will you be
doing? How long will it take? What will happen after the surgery? How can
I expect to feel during recovery? Tell the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and
nurses if you have allergies or have ever had a bad reaction to anesthesia.
Make sure you, your doctor, and your surgeon all agree on exactly what will
be done during the operation. |
