Frequently Asked Questions
What is PPECA?
Why should people rely on public libraries for patient safety information?
How safe is medical care?
How common are medical errors?
What causes medical errors?
What is a system?
What are hospitals and doctors doing to prevent medical errors?
How can the science of safety help make patients safer?
How can I as a consumer play a role in patient safety?
What are some specific things I can do to improve patient safety?
Why is it so important for me to be informed about my health care?
How can I find reliable health care information?
Should I tell my doctor about the healthcare information
I’ve found
from other sources?
How do I know if the health information I find on the Web is reliable?
Who can I contact for more information on the PPECA program?
Partnering for Patient Empowerment through Community Awareness, or PPECA, is a project that pairs hospitals with community libraries to help inform consumers and librarians about patient safety. The project focuses on the role of consumers as partners in their own care and that of their loved ones.
Why should people rely on public libraries for patient safety information?
Expert librarians can help health professionals and consumers find the health information they need. Librarians are experienced in finding information and can direct you to information resources such as books, journals, databases, or Web sites you may not be familiar with and teach you how to use them. Explore the resources and programs available at your local public library as well as any consumer health or hospital libraries in your area.
It is important to remember just 1% of hospital patients are affected by medical errors; 99% of patients enjoy safe care. In many aspects of life, a 1% error rate might be considered acceptable or even very good. But in health care, an error -- even a small one -- sometimes makes the difference between life and death, or living a healthy, normal life versus a life of disability or suffering. That's why the goal of the patient safety movement is to reduce that 1% error rate to as close to zero as possible, and it's a very high priority for PPECA.
How common are medical errors?
In its landmark 1999 publication, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported that as many as 98,000 people die in hospitals each year as a result of medical errors that could have been prevented. View the brief in PDF format
Most patient injuries are caused by a combination of errors. They are not any one person’s fault. This is what experts call “systems failure.”
A system—such as a hospital—has three elements: people, the organization, and the tools they use. Each of these can help—or accidentally hurt—patients. By becoming part of the system, you as a patient can take an active role in your safety.
What are hospitals and doctors doing to prevent medical errors?
The healthcare profession is constantly studying the science of safety. This science realizes that people make mistakes no matter how hard they try not to, and the consequences could mean the difference between life and death. Other high-risk industries such as aviation and nuclear power also use the science of safety to help prevent future accidents.
How can the science of safety help make patients safer?
In studying what happens when something goes wrong, healthcare professionals can often find the root cause of the problem—and design procedures or equipment to help prevent that problem from happening again.
How can I as a consumer play a role in patient safety?
By being informed and taking an active role in medical care, you can help improve patient safety for yourself or serve as a patient representative for someone close to you.
What are some specific things I can do to improve patient safety?
It is very important for you as a consumer to be a partner in your health care and that of your loved ones. The American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that you take these five steps:
- Ask questions. If something doesn’t look right, say so. If you don’t understand something your doctor or nurse is telling you, ask them to explain it to you
- Make a list of the medicines you are taking—and keep the list up-to-date
- Get results of medical tests or procedures directly from your doctor
- Talk to your doctor when you need to choose a hospital
- Understand what will happen if you need surgery
Why is it so important for me to be informed about my health care?
By becoming better informed, you can:
- Play a greater role in your health care
- Have more control over decision-making
- Comply with your doctor’s treatment plans
- Feel less anxious about your health care
- Have a better idea of what to expect
How can I find reliable health care information?
There are many places where you can find information about your health conditions and how to make your care safer. Here is a good way to start your search:
- Talk to your doctor or nurse, who may give you easy-to-understand brochures about your medical condition. These provide very basic information and can be a good starting point.
- Search the Internet. There are many health literature databases online. Look at the Web Resources on this site for help in gathering and evaluating medical information online.
- Work with a librarian. Ask a librarian to help you find information on your health condition. They can also direct you to information resources such as books, journals, databases or Web sites and teach you how to use them.
- Read books on patient safety and your specific medical concerns. See the reading list for suggested books and articles on patient safety.
Should I tell my doctor about the healthcare information I’ve found from other sources?
Yes. It is always important to discuss what you learn with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist—and to ask questions based on what you have read. You may want to prepare a list of questions before visiting your doctor’s office. Your doctor may help you understand how what you have read applies to your own situation.
How
do I know if the health information I find on the Web is reliable?
When looking at health Web sites, the Medical Library Association recommends
asking these questions:
- Who sponsors the Web site? Be sure the Web site hosts and their qualifications are clearly identified.
- Is the site current? Has it been updated recently?
- Is the information factual or does it represent opinions? If so, whose opinions are being presented? Are they qualified professionals?
- Is the Web site intended for medical professionals or the general public?
Who can I contact for more information on the PPECA program?
Lorri Zipperer, Cybrarian
Zipperer Project Management
lorri@ZPM1.com
This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services,
under Contract No. N01-LM-6-3503 with the University of Illinois at Chicago.
© 2007-2008 PPECA II . All rights reserved.