10 Ways to prevent medical errors:
1. Expect mistakes and have an advocate with you in the hospital.
2. Check every medicine. Make sure the dose is right.
3. Be assertive. “Being nice can get you killed.”
4. When in doubt, say no. Demand an explanation.
5. Be vigilant during transitions, from one floor to another, or when shifts change.
6. Alert the nurse or “rapid response team” if something seems wrong.
7. When discharged from the hospital, get detailed instructions and contact information. Know what symptoms might signal a worsening situation or infection.
8. Hospital doctors may never speak to your primary-care physician. Take your records and don’t assume doctors already know what’s in them.
9. Double-check everything. Don’t assume no news is good news or that test results are always correct. Get copies of lab results in a timely fashion. If something seems wrong, request a repeat.
10. Take a friend or family member to doctor’s visits. Nearly every error made in the hospital can also be made in the outpatient setting. A second pair of eyes and ears can be very useful in getting instructions and spotting problems.