Federal Employee Health Benefit Program

RI 70-2 For United States Postal Service Employees

Preventing Medical Mistakes

An influential report from the Institute of Medicine estimates that up to 98,000 Americans die every year from medical mistakes in hospitals alone. That's about 3,230 preventable deaths in the FEHB Program a year. While death is the most tragic outcome, medical mistakes cause other problems, such as permanent disabilities, extended hospital stays, longer recoveries, and additional treatments. By asking questions, learning more, and understanding your risks, you can improve the safety of your health care, and that of your family. Take these simple steps:

1. Ask questions if you have doubts or concerns.
   • Ask questions and make sure you understand the answers.
   • Choose a doctor with whom you feel comfortable talking.
   • Take a relative or friend with you to help you ask questions and understand answers.
2. Keep and bring a list of all the medicines you take.
   • Give your doctor and pharmacist a list of all the medicines that you take, including non-prescription medicines.
   • Tell them about any drug allergies you have.
   • Ask about side effects and what to avoid while taking the medicine.
   • Read the label when you get your medicine, including all warnings.
   • Make sure your medicine is what the doctor ordered and know how to use it.
   • Ask the pharmacist about your medicine if it looks different than you expected.
3. Get the results of any test or procedure.
   • Ask when and how you will get the results of tests or procedures.
   • Don't assume the results are fine if you do not get them when expected, be it in person, by phone, or by mail.
   • Call your doctor and ask for your results.
   • Ask what the results mean for your care.
4. Talk to your doctor about which hospital is best for your health needs.
   • Ask your doctor which hospital has the best care and results for your condition if you have more than one hospital to choose from to get the health care you need.
   • Be sure you understand the instructions you get about follow-up care when you leave the hospital.
5. Make sure you understand what will happen if you need surgery.
   • Make sure you, your doctor, and your surgeon all agree on exactly what will be done during the operation.
   • Ask your doctor, "Who will manage my care when I am in the hospital?"
   • Ask your surgeon:
     Exactly what will you be doing?
     About how long will it take?
     What will happen after surgery?
     How can I expect to feel during recovery?
   • Tell the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and nurses about any allergies, bad reaction to anesthesia, and any medications you are taking.

Want more information on patient safety?

• www.ahrq.gov/consumer/pathqpack.htm. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality makes available a wide-ranging list of topics not only to inform consumers about patient safety but to help choose quality healthcare providers and improve the quality of care you receive.
• www.patientsafety.gov. The VA National Center for Patient Safety is dedicated to improving the care of America's veterans and offering patients and health care providers, as well as the general public, information on what can be done to improve patient safety.
• www.npsf.org. The National Patient Safety Foundation has information on how to ensure safer healthcare for you and your family.
• www.leapfroggroup.org. The Leapfrog Group is active in promoting safe practices in hospital care.
• www.ahqa.org. The American Health Quality Association represents organizations and healthcare professionals working to improve patient safety.

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