Excellent healthcare depends on a partnership of the patient and the healthcare team. To ensure that every patient receives the best care, everyone must take a role in patient safety, including you and your chosen family member or friend. Ask questions; invite your family and visitors to ask questions.
Methodist Hospitals is also founding member of the Northwest Indiana Patient Safety Coalition (NWIPSC). The mission of the NWIPSC is to foster a culture of patient safety by providing a collaborative healthcare forum for organizations, community leaders and educational institutions through the use of evidence-based practices – focusing on cost efficient, continuous improvements and the reduction of medical errors. It’s vision is to make Northwest Indiana healthcare among the safest in the nation.
Important hospital safety measures you can help us with:
- Remind your visitors and the staff, if necessary, to clean their hands when they enter and leave your room. 5 Things You can do to Prevent Infection
- Ask for help when getting out of bed – even just to go to the bathroom. We don’t want you to fall. Reduce your risk of Falling
- Help us check your identification band every time we give you care or treatment.
- Keep special colored-wrist bands on – each color tells your caregiver about a special need. Wristband Toolkit
- If you’re having surgery, help the surgeon make a clear, accurate mark indicating where your surgery will be. Help Avoid Mistakes in Surgery
- Speak up if you have questions or concerns about any medications that you are taking while in the hospital. When being discharged, make sure you understand the medications you need to take after you leave the hospital. Help Avoid Mistakes with Your Medicine
- Ask questions if you don’t understand what you need to do after discharge. Planning Your Follow-up Care
- It is important to become engaged in your health care. Preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and effective communication creates “culture of safety” at Methodist Hospitals.