Studies have shown that about 10 percent of children will be the victim of a medical error during their stay at the hospital and nearly 25 percent of those errors are preventable. Additionally, children are at a greater risk of injury or death as contrasted with adult patients. 

 

What can you do to as the patient or parent of a patient to help prevent medical errors before they happen?

 

Patients that are more involved with their care get better results. That means understanding the condition or diagnosis, how the physician went about with a diagnosis and the available treatment options including the risk involved. 

 

Also, your doctor must be made aware of any medicines that you are taking including over the counter medications. Your doctor must also know about allergies or allergic reactions to any medicine. 

 

If you are having surgery and have a choice as to which hospital to have the procedure, you should choose the hospital that has treated other patients with similar conditions to the one you have. You should make it clear with your physician as to the correct body part and the specific surgery to be done on that body part. There have been instances where physicians have operated on the wrong body part. You should also ask all health care workers with whom you come into contact with whether they have washed their hands. When you are released from the hospital, make sure that you and your physician are clear about what activities you can return to.   Please visit our site to read more about hospital negligence and medical malpractice. 

 

If you have test or procedure performed, follow up about the results. No news does not always mean good news. 

 

You should ask any questions that you have and make sure that your personal physician is involved in some way with your case.