How to Find the Safest Hospital in Your Community
Your first step will be to locate the safest hospital in your area, and then select physicians who are affiliated with that hospital.? There are several websites that rank hospital safety:
http://hospitalsafetyscore.org
http://hospitalcompare.hhs.gov
When I entered the local hospitals in my area into hospitalsafetyscore.org, I discovered that the ones where I am most likely to be taken were?all given a rating of "A."? That was a relief, because there were a number of hospitals in my county that had a rating of "C" and "B."? Hospital Safety Score rates?a number of?items including?the hospital's computerized prescriber order entry system,?hand hygiene, care of ventilated patients, correct antibiotic use, frequency of incidents in which a foreign object was left in a surgical patient and accidental cuts or tears from medical treatment.?
When I searched the database for local hospitals on hospitalcompare.hhs.gov, I was able to compare my local hospitals and look for differences in issues such as readmission? or death rates for heart attack and pneumonia patients, number of heart attack patients given aspirin or fibrinolytic medication?upon arrival, and the results of patient surveys.
Armed with this information, I felt much more confident in the hospitals I may need to use in the future.
How to Prevent Infections and Mistakes During Your Hospital Stay
As a patient or the close relative of a patient, there are also steps you can take to help reduce the risk of mistakes and injuries during a hospital stay.? Even though you are dependent on the medical staff for major activities, such as treatment during surgery, you can still remain proactive and take some responsibility for the quality of your care.? Here are some steps you can take:
You may be in pain, but try to be pleasant.? You are more likely to receive better care and quicker attention if you and your relatives obey hospital rules and treat all staff members like they are friends, not enemies.
Politely ask everyone to wash their hands ... your visitors as well as the hospital staff, including doctors, nurses and aides.
Be observant of your bandages.? Make sure they cover any wounds or incisions and that the bandages are kept clean and changed regularly.
Follow pre-op and post-op instructions carefully.? Take antibiotics as directed and take the full amount of the prescribed medicine.? Ask a family member to be with you when you are given the instructions so that someone else, who has not been on anesthesia, knows exactly what you should and should not do.
If you will be using a catheter or other medical device, be certain that you and a family member both know how to use it correctly.
Wash your own hands before you touch a wound, bandage, catheter or other device.? Your immune system will be weakened after surgery or a major health event.? Don't challenge it even more.
If you follow all these steps in choosing a high quality hospital and taking personal responsibility for your care, your patient safety in the hospital should not be a major problem.
You may also be interested in reading:
Healing Relationships with Your Adult Children
Sexually Transmitted Diseases After Age 50
Foods That Lower Your Cholesterol
Exercises that Help Fibromyalgia
Doctor Housecalls Provide Home Medical Care
Aging and Tips to Prevent Hip Injuries
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Questions or comments are appreciated and will be emailed to me.? I will respond in the comments section.
Source: http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/2012/11/patient-safety-in-hospital-near-you.html
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