Simple Steps Can Prevent Medical Errors

No one is perfect, and no medical system can be completely free from a potential for errors. But you can minimize the chance that a medical mistake will affect your family by taking a few simple steps.

Be an active and inquisitive member of your child’s health care team. Ask questions and expect answers. If you don’t know what’s going on you’re less likely to be able to spot a problem.

Insist on clear communication. If you don’t understand instructions, ask the doctor to repeat them and write them down. Double check every medicine when you pick it up from the pharmacy—is it what you expected? All records should be legible and organized. If your doctor’s office is always losing paper and the staff can’t put their hands on your information right away, errors are far more prone to occur.

Choose a doctor who listens and a staff that is happy. A humble doctor doesn’t mind when others help spot mistakes, and a happy staff will be more likely to speak up when something isn’t right.

Be certain that all treating physicians know every medicine your child takes. One easy way is to bring a brown lunch bag of all of your child’s prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, and any supplements to every doctors’ appointment. Know your child’s medication allergies in detail. You should know not only the names of any medicine that has led to a reaction, but the exact detailed history of any reaction that has occurred.

Learn how to administer your child’s medicines. Liquids need to be measured; inhaled medicines sometimes need special devices and instructions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how to give all medicines in the best way.

Follow up on any tests. Ask when to expect results of any test or x-ray, and call your doctor if you haven’t heard the results in a reasonable amount of time. Don’t depend on “No news is good news”—if you haven’t heard, ask.

Insist that health care workers wash their hands. Infections that are caught at a medical visit are a significant health problem. All health care providers should wash or sanitize their hands before and after every encounter.

Speak up. If you think you’ve spotted a problem, bring it up with your doctor. You have a responsibility as a parent to speak up and help protect your child if something is not going right. You can’t expect your physician or medical office to never make a mistake. But by choosing a medical office that is well run, and insisting on clear communication between doctors, nurses, and patients, you can reduce the risk that a medical error will harm your child.