Quick Course in Patient Safety

The Institute of Medicine provides two definitions:

• The failure an action to be completed as intended (such as giving the wrong medication when the prescription is written correctly), or

• The use of a wrong plan to achieve a goal. (i.e., prescribing the wrong medication.)

Medicare sharpened the definition of a medical error on Oct. 1, 2008 when it stopped reimbursing hospitals for several common preventable medical errors.  Medicare calls these “Never Events” — these should never happen to you or someone you love.

Hospital Acquired Infections of all kinds

Surgery Errors

Medicare’s decision shined a high beam light on patient safety and hospitals are making it a top priority.  But it’s a big job and every one of us needs to contribute to the safe circle of care in hospitals.

Decide to take an active role in patient safety today. Starting here with campaignZERØ ,  learn about how to help safeguard your loved ones in the hospital.  Take the simple steps we suggest to help make sure that Never Events never happen to someone you love.