Author: Patients for Patient Safety Canada

Resources to support a safe care journey

Written by Patients for Patient Safety Canada on October 22, 2024. Posted in Resources.

Preventing harm is everyone’s responsibility; the more prepared and involved we are in our care or the care of our loved ones, the safer it will be. Ask about safety risks and how you can help mitigate them at every critical point in your healthcare journey. Also ask questions about your care plan and have it explained so you understand. Listen carefully to the information received, take notes, request translation or cultural, emotional, or spiritual support if needed, and bring someone with you on your healthcare journey. Act by speaking up every...

Patient safety and equity

Written by Patients for Patient Safety Canada on October 22, 2024. Posted in Resources.

by Esha Ray Chaudhuri As a patient dedicated to Patients for Patient Safety Canada’s collective vision of making every patient safe, I would like to make three points about types of harm: PATIENTS ARE NOT ALL THE SAME Patients in Canada – and all over the world – are uniquely diverse and so is their experience of harm. Some communities are more likely to experience healthcare harm than others when diagnosis of their health problems can miss the different types of influences that cause their illness. All patients are uniquely diverse and so is their experience of harm. This...

Mutual Healing Program

Written by Patients for Patient Safety Canada on September 25, 2024. Posted in Resources.

It is well established that both patients/families and healthcare workers (HCWs) experience psychological trauma as an outcome of a harmful patient safety incident. This trauma leads to emotional reactions and potentially builds barriers between the two. Aubin DL, Soprovich A, Diaz Caravallo F, et al. Support for healthcare workers and patients after medical error through mutual healing: another steps towards patient safety. BMJ Open Quality 2022; 11:e002004. Doi:10.1136/bmjop-2022-002004 Patients for Patient Safety Canada (PFPSC) is leading a novel initiative to help patients,...

5 Questions to ask to prevent a diagnosis error or mistake

Written by Patients for Patient Safety Canada on September 11, 2024. Posted in Resources.

You might think that only the health care provider can prevent a diagnosis error. That’s not correct. There are steps you can take to prevent a diagnosis error: Do not be shy – ask questions – Questions save lives. Be aware that diagnosis of a health problem is complex – it involves various steps (e.g. getting health and medical history, signs and symptoms, and getting blood or other tests). Understand what is involved in being diagnosed. Don’t give up on getting answers to questions. You need to clearly understand the diagnosis and follow-up...

Diagnosis error is a huge patient safety problem. We need more proof!

Written by Patients for Patient Safety Canada on September 11, 2024. Posted in Resources.

How common are diagnosis errors? Our facts are scarce but tell us that: One-third of 346 Canadians said they or a loved one suffered patient safety harm because of misdiagnosis [Canadian Patient Safety Institute/IPSOS, 2018]. In 2017, 59% of 2536 adult U.S. patients said that diagnosis of their medical problems did not happen, was wrong, or was delayed [Institute of Health Information 2017]. The World Health Organization reports that nearly 16% of harm that could have been prevented across health systems was due to diagnosis error (2024). To diagnose a patient’s health...

Diagnosing a health issue is complex. Make sure you have the right pieces of the puzzle.

Written by Patients for Patient Safety Canada on September 11, 2024. Posted in Resources.

The diagnosis of a patient’s health problem is like a puzzle. All the pieces in the puzzle should join and give a clear picture of your health. More important, it should show you if you have any health issues that need care. Unlike a puzzle, diagnosis is not always as easy to piece together. There are many pieces of a person’s health and diagnosis puzzle which includes: health history: physical and mental health or well-being, medical issues, quality of life, and family supports signs and symptoms related to a specific health problem results of a physical exam or check-up,...