Patient Safety Summary You can help prevent medical errors by being an active member of your health care team. Research shows that patients who are more involved with their care tend to get better results. To reduce the risk of medical errors, you can Ask questions if you have doubts or concerns. Take a relative or friend to your doctor appointment to help you ask questions and understand answers. Make sure you understand what will happen if you need surgery Tell your health care providers about all the medicines you take, including over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements. Tell them if you have any allergies or bad reactions to anesthesia. Make sure you know how to take your medications correctly. Get a second opinion about treatment options Keep a copy of your own health history Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Start Here 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Five Steps to Safer Health Care Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Medical Errors: Tips to Help Prevent Them American Academy of Family Physicians Patient Safety: Ten Things You Can Do to Be a Safe Patient Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Questions to Ask Your Doctor Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Statistics and Research 2012 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Diagnostic Errors Study Findings Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Find an Expert Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Patient Advocacy National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Patient Safety National Institutes of Health Seniors Falls in Nursing Homes Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Array Help prevent hospital errors Use of restraints Specifics Patient Safety: What You Can Do to Be a Safe Patient Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Speak Up: Help Avoid Mistakes in Your Surgery Joint Commission Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care: Ambulatory Care Joint Commission Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care: Behavioral Health Care Joint Commission Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care: Home Care Joint Commission Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care: Laboratory Services Joint Commission Journal Articles Patient Safety Related Issues Report a Complaint (about a Health Care Organization) Joint Commission Children Speak Up: Prevent Errors in Your Child’s Care Joint Commission
