Compliance News: TJC's Speak Up Program Improving Patient Safety

By Dean Samet, CHSP


Direct from The Joint Commission web site is information on how your patients can contribute to their own safety and help reduce your numbers in health care errors. 
      
In March of 2002, The Joint Commission (TJC), together with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), launched a national campaign to urge patients to take a role in preventing health care errors by becoming informed, active, and involved in their own health care and participants on the health care team. The campaign features brochures and posters which address a variety of patient safety topics. Speak Up™ encourages the public to:

• Speak up if you have questions or concerns. If you still don’t understand, ask again. It’s your body and you have a right to know.
• Pay attention to the care you get. Always make sure you’re getting the right treatments and medicines by the right health care professionals. Don’t assume anything.
• Educate yourself about your illness. Learn about the medical test you get, and your treatment plan.
• Ask a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate (advisor or supporter).
• Know what medicines you take and why you take them. Medicine errors are the most common health care mistakes.
• Use a hospital, clinic, surgery center, or other type of health care organization that has been carefully checked out. For example, The Joint Commission visits hospitals to see if they are meeting The Joint Commission’s quality standards. 
• Participate in all decisions about your treatment. You are the center of the health care team. 

There are a number of topics Speak Up has addressed since its inception in 2002 which include:

• Help Prevent Errors in Your Care
• Help Avoid Mistakes in Your Surgery
• Information for Living Organ Donors
• Five Things You Can Do to Prevent Infection
• Help Avoid Mistakes With Your Medicines
• What You Should Know About Research Studies
• Planning Your Follow-up Care
• Help Prevent Medical Test Mistakes
• Know Your Rights
• Understanding Your Doctors and Other Care Givers
• What You Should Know About Pain Management
• Prevent Errors in Your Child’s Care
• Stay Well and Keep Others Well (a coloring book for Children)
• Tips for Your Doctor’s Visit
• Reduce Your Risk of Falling

  
According to TJC, in a survey conducted in 2008, responding organizations reported that Speak Up “has promoted and increased communication with both patients and staff about safety.” Informed, active and involved patients can help themselves in their own health care while helping you reduce your numbers in health care errors.
    
Note: Downloadable files of all Speak Up brochures and posters (including Spanish language versions of the brochures) are available on The Joint Commission web site at http://www.jointcommission.org/PatientSafety/SpeakUp/ . There are NO copyright or reprinting permissions required for the Speak Up materials or copy. In references to the materials or copy, TJC asks that The Joint Commission be credited as the source for the materials or copy.