To prevent health care errors, patients are urged to...Speak UP
Everyone has a role in making health care safe - both you and your health care partners at McKinley Health Center. An Institute of Medicine (IOM) report has identified the occurrence of medical errors as a serious problem in the health care system. The IOM recommends, among other things, that a concerted effort be made to improve the public's awareness of the problem. To prevent health care errors, here are some things that you can do:
- SPEAK UP if you have questions or concerns, and if you don't understand, ask again. It's your body and you have a right to know.
- PAY ATTENTION to the care you are receiving. Make sure you're getting the right treatments and medications by the right health care professionals. Don't assume anything.
- EDUCATE yourself about your diagnosis, the medical tests you are undergoing, and your treatment plan.
- ASK a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate.
- KNOW what medications you take and why you take them. Medication errors are the most common health care mistakes.
- USE a hospital, clinic, surgery center, or other type of health care organization that has undergone a rigorous on-site evaluation against established, state-of-the-art quality and safety standards, such as provided by the Joint Commission.
- PARTICIPATE in all decisions about your treatment. You are the center of the health care team.
Contact us:
Phone:
(217) 333-2711
Fax:
(217) 244-1758
Mail:
Mary Anne Miller
McKinley Health Center
1109 South Lincoln Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
© 2009 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign