Patient Safety in the Hospital

Dan Frith

Contributor

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I spend a great deal of time researching and reading about the many medical mistakes and errors which occur in the hospital.  One of my favorite sites on the Web is maintained by the Joint Commission - an independent, not-for-profit organization.  The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.

The Center for Patient Safety Website is super!  It allows you to search for "Sentinel Alerts" which are sent to all healthcare providers when a certain trend or recurring problem in the hospital comes to the attention of the Joint Commission.  The site allows you to research "Adverse Events" (a funny name for a screw up) by type including: anesthesia, surgery, medication, equipment, etc.

Be an informed patient.  If you don't look out for yourself...no one else may do it for you!