Resources to support a safe care journey

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 time you have a concern, learning about safety, and using the resources available. When you feel ready contact Patients for Patient Safety Canada to see how we can work together to improve safety for all patients.  

When something goes wrong, you should be informed and supported after harm. Find out how you can report a safety concern, be part of the analysis, and solutions for improvement.  

Resources 

We are grateful to Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC) and our many other partners who provided resources and guidance to support patients and family caregivers to be partners in safety. Please visit the HEC webpage for webinars, activities, and many other materials to broaden our understanding of healthcare harm.  

• HEC and the Métis Nation – Saskatchewan (MN-S) and HEC collected Métis experiences in a video series illustrating cultural safety in healthcare.

• Ruben St. Charles, a Métis man, wants to know why his ponytail was cut without his consent while he was in hospital for a hip surgery.

• Wendy Guimont’s death sparks call for better drug monitoring and more transparency about the circumstances leading to the errors. 

• Joginder Singh Kaler had his faith violated by having his facial hair shaven by Brampton hospital staff without permission to do so. The hospital system apologized and pledged to prevent similar incidents in future.   

• Samwel Uko sought help for mental health twice at the Regina General Hospital on his final day. He was removed by security and later took his life. An inquest into his death made 20 recommendations.  

• Brian Sinclair died waiting to be seen in the emergency room at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre. Racism was the main contributing factor.  

• BMJ Quality & Safety. Emotional harm from disrespect: the neglected preventable harm. The journal article by Lauge-Sokol Hessner et all presents a few case studies that impact patients and families. 

• ISMP Canada – When the Diagnosis Isn’t Psychosis but Antipsychotic Medications are Prescribed. A blog centered around a very common experience of medication being prescribed when other options exist. 

• World Health Organization – Patient Safety Rights Charter promotes the upholding of patient safety rights, as established by international human rights standards, for everyone, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity or race, language, religion, disability, socioeconomic status or any other status. One of the 10 rights is focused to dignity, respect, non-discrimination, privacy and confidentiality.  

• Dignity in Care – The Patient Dignity Question is an open-ended question that should guide the care process. Patients should be prepared to answer it. Here is the question: What do I need to know about you as a person to give you the best care possible? 

• RAND Research Report – Identifying and Understanding Ways to Address the Impact of Racism on Patient Safety in Health Care Settings. The report highlights the need to acknowledge that racism exists in healthcare, the need for accessible and consistent ways of reporting patient safety incidents with racism as a factor and a culture which encourages speaking up about racism and stereotyping. 

• Canadian Medical Association – An apology for harms to Indigenous Peoples highlights racism as a patient safety concern. 

• Melissa Faulkner – Defining healthcare harm from the patient perspective is a master thesis describing multiple types of harm and its impact including physical; psychological; social/behavioural with subdomains of altered health seeking behaviours, life disruption, and impact on family, friends and community; financial consequences; existential/spiritual; and lack of response and justice. Equity deserving populations tend to feel greater impact.  

• Heathcare Excellence Canada, Ten warning signs that tell you when you or your loved one’s health is getting worse. 

• Patients for Patient Safety Canada – 5 Questions to ask to prevent a diagnosis error or mistake.

• Patients for Patient Safety Canada – Have you experienced harm in healthcare?

Shared Health Manitoba – It’s Safe to Ask encourages patients and families to request the information they need in order to become active participants in their care. It includes easy-to-read materials for patients. Healthcare providers can also use this information with patients and families. 

Tell us about the most helpful resources you’ve found at hello@patients4safety.ca or share them on social media using #patients4safety and #CPSW2024.