How to stay safe during a hospital stay

I have just been watching a very interesting CNN report which hightlights the frightening fact that medical errors kill up to 98,000 U.S. hospital patients a year. Wow that is some figure. I am not sure what the stats are for Ireland, but whatever they are, the figure is bound to be alarming too.  Just as alarming is the figure of 99,000 people who die each year from infections acquired in the hospital.  Again, not sure what the figures are here, but I know that MRSA is a big worry for anyone who is about to undergo a hospital stay.

An interesting observation from Cindy Sellers O’Brien, president of the mid-Maryland chapter of the Emergency Nurses Association, grabbed my attention.  “The patients that do better are the ones that take an active role in their health care. They have the better outcomes [because] they take more ownership.”

Back to this recurring theme again – your life is in your own hands. The American Hospital Association agrees that patients play a crucial role. “While we are striving for perfection in the way we deliver care, we know we fall short of that mark — but patients can help us get better,” says Nancy Foster, AHA’s vice president for quality and patient safety policy. “They can — and should — ask questions when something does not seem quite right.”

Given the dangers lurking in hospitals, CNN asked several nurses to give  their suggestions about what steps to take to protect yourself and your family.  Watch their advice on avoiding hospital mistakes.

Related Post: Your life in YOUR hands