My story exploring the safety of D.C.-area hospitals has been published in Washingtonian‘s February issue and in Kaiser Health News.
I spent time at 5 D.C.-area hospitals for the story and focus on three of them, Georgetown University, Inova Fairfax and Suburban. The doctors working on patient safety were generous with their time and clearly they are working hard to improve safety. What is clear to me however, is that if you find yourself in a hospital, you have to take care of yourself.
In my story, I talk about some of the things you need to do. Ask questions. Make sure that nurses and other caregivers have washed their hands. Bring another person with you to help you advocate for yourself. Let everyone know what medications you are on to minimize the danger of medication errors. Know exactly what you are supposed to do when you leave the hospital to continue to heal.
