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Patient Safety has been identified as one of the most important regulatory and operational issues at
UH. Yet it is an area that can be readily impacted by adhering to these simple rules:

•		Report Patient Safety Issues
•		UH Celebrates Time Out Day
•		See How Your Colleagues Put Patient Safety First

Always Use 2 Patient Identifiers
(Remember UH's motto: "At UH It Takes 2")

1. asking patient name

2. for inpatients:
checking medical record#
for ambulatory care patients: checking date of birth

Good Communication Among Caregivers

When receiving verbal orders or test results, the receiving team member must first write down what she/he hears and then read it back to confirm its accuracy. This is NOT the same as simply repeating back the order.

Follow the Universal Protocol
(for preventing Wrong Site/ Wrong Procedure/ Wrong Person Surgery )

1. Pre-procedure checklist: You must make sure that all relevant documents and studies are available before beginning any invasive procedure.

2. Site marking with patient's participation: You must mark the intended operative site with the physician's initials, so that it is clearly visible-- even when the patient is draped.

3. Final verification ("Time Out"): You must take a "time-out" before beginning any sort of procedure so every member of the team can affirm his/her understanding of who the patient is and what is to occur.

Patient Safety Training at UH

Do you know exactly what two patient identifiers you must use, when you must use them and what else you must do after you check?
Do you know for sure when you must do a "time out?"
What is the one word you must never use when answering a JCAHO question?
What is the "new rule" for critical test results?

The Quality Improvement (QI) Department is offering a series of education/training sessions about the Patient Safety Goals at UH.

The program's goal is to improve patient safety by emphasizing UH policies and procedures designed to reduce preventable medical errors and to prepare the staff for the JCAHO survey this spring.

The sessions are 35 minutes in length and are scheduled in pairs around the 3 PM and 7 PM shift changes to allow the maximum number of employees and staff to attend a session during the five-week cycle. The sessions are suitable for all employees and staff. Attendance will be tracked and reported back to each department so employees can receive credit.

If you have any questions, please call the QI Department (2-1530).