Lindsay, October 12, 2007

One of the most important elements of patient safety is communication between the patient and the health care provider. Giving the doctors and nurses particular information and asking the right questions can mean the difference between leaving an appointment with answers, or just more questions. 

That’s why the Ross Memorial Hospital is participating in a campaign sponsored by the Ontario Hospital Association that will help to improve that dialogue. The OHA is re-launching its “Your Health Care – Be Involved” campaign during Canadian Patient Safety Week (October 8-13). 

The campaign outlines five tips for patients to help them get more involved in their health care and get better outcomes from their visits to the doctor’s office, clinic or hospital. They’re tips that Dr. Rob Drury, Chief of Medical Staff at the Ross Memorial Hospital, believes will be of great benefit to patients.

1. Be involved in your health care. Speak up if you have questions or concerns about your care. 

“We encourage people to be involved in their health care,” Dr. Drury says. “The first tip reminds people that they know their disease or their condition better than anyone, so when they notice changes or have events, they should ask their physician about it. And make sure they understand the answer. If  changes in treatment are recommended, ask about the benefits and the risks. Some patients, particularly elderly patients, are apprehensive about asking their doctors questions. They just want their doctor’s opinion. But answering questions is what we’re here for.” 

2. Tell a member of your health care team about your past illnesses and your current health condition. 

“The second recommendation is important because a lot of people assume that their physician remembers everything about their medical history, but active medical records may not have the full history. Telling us upfront about past illnesses can save us time when we’re diagnosing a new problem.”

3. Bring all of your medicines with you when you go to the hospital or to a medical appointment. 

Dr. Drury considers the third patient tip to be the most important. “Having a current list of all the medications a patient is taking saves the trouble and time it takes to pull out records and notes. Right now, we can look that information up for seniors by contacting the Drug Benefit Plan or going through local pharmacists, but it’s better if you know what you’re taking and have that list available. A lot of the health problems patients have are related to their medications and interactions between medications.”

4. Tell a member of your health care team if you have ever had an allergic or bad reaction to any medicine or food.

“Telling your health care provider about allergies is always important,” says Dr. Drury. “It’s common to be allergic to medication, and if your reactions are severe, you should have a Medic Alert bracelet.” 

5.   Make sure you know what to do when you go home from the hospital or medical appointment.

The last recommendation is more difficult than it seems. “Patients need to know what’s being proposed, and the implications, when they leave an appointment. They need to know what’s expected. For example, if they’re prescribed penicillin and the physician expects them to get better in three days or come back, it’s important that they understand that before they leave.”

The 5 tips were created in consultation with both patients and health care professionals. They reflect the them of Canadian Patient Safety Week, which is “Patient Safety: Be Involved. Ask. Talk. Listen.”