Clinicians work their hardest to prevent harm to patients, but patients can play a role in their safety as well, according to Drew Young Shin, MD, a clinician and assistant professor with Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford.
Dr. Shin provided five tips for how patients can engage in their own safety, given "as a fellow patient and current physician who spends most of [his] hours thinking of ways to minimize errors."
Dr. Shin's thoughts were published on Quora and by the Huffington Post. They are summarized below.
1. Be vigilant about central venous catheters. Dr. Shin encouraged patients to ask their physicians daily, "When can this catheter come out?" to help lower risk of a catheter-associated bloodstream infection. "The daily assessment of the need for a central venous catheter is a proven way to minimize your risk," he wrote.
2. Emphasize communication. Patients should go over their daily assessment and daily plan with their care team each day, Dr. Shin wrote. "Consulting teams can quickly get on the same page if you are part owner in the care plan. Clear communication across multiple healthcare team members is commonly expected but…should not be assumed."
3. Expect pain after an operation, meaning post-operative rehab is extremely important. Dr. Shin urged patients to ambulate as early as possible and rehab often.
4. Maintain a normal sleep cycle, which can aid in recovery. To help in the process, patients should keep their blinds open during the day and cover windows at night, according to Dr. Shin.
5. Keep a notebook. Since patients tend to have a limited amount of time with their physician, they should write down questions they have throughout the day in a notebook and use their nurses as advocates whenever possible.