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"In General  Call for test results within a week, advises Joanne Turnbull, Ph.D., executive director of the National Patient Safety Foundation. Lost diagnostic tests are common, so don&amp;#039;t assume that because your doctor hasn&amp;#039;t phoned, everything is okay. Many tests, including Pap smears and blood work, can be repeated. Get a second or third opinion if you need surgery or treatment for a new and potentially serious illness. Check the background of any new doctor you see. Find out where he or she trained and for how long and if he or she has a malpractice record. In some states, malpractice settlement information is posted on the Internet. In other states, it may be available in the county courthouse. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is working to improve methods for identifying doctors and nurses who may need close supervision. If You Need To Be Hospitalized  Choose a high-volume hospital. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirms that there&amp;#039;s a much greater chance of error if a new or high-tech surgical procedure is done at a hospital that doesn&amp;#039;t perform it frequently.  Make sure your hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, which sets standards for hospitals and patient care. Check out your hospital at www.jcaho.org, or call the JCAHO at (630) 792-5800.  If You Are In the Hospital  Keep track of your medications. Computerized medication-entry systems have been developed, but fewer than 2 percent of hospitals require physicians to use them. Check with the nurse each time a medicine is brought to you or designate a friend or family member to do it for you. Question any change in medication or dosage; if you don&amp;#039;t receive a satisfactory answer, don&amp;#039;t take the medicine until you can check with your doctor. If you have a drug allergy, hang a large sign over your bed that reads, DO NOT GIVE ME _____. Just because it&amp;#039;s written on your chart doesn&amp;#039;t mean you won&amp;#039;t get it. Make sure your provider wears gloves before handling your catheter or IV and cleans his or her hands before coming in contact with you, says Julie Gerberding, M.D., director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Ask your provider if you really need a catheter. Bladder catheters are the main cause of hospital infections. Although initially sterile, they pass through nonsterile parts of the body during insertion. And the longer they stay in, the greater a patient&amp;#039;s risk. If You Need Surgery Ask who will oversee any resident who will be performing an operation. &amp;quot;A reputable physician or surgeon should be present and immediately available,&amp;quot; says the AHRQ&amp;#039;s director, John Eisenberg, M.D.  Make sure your surgeon knows which operation you&amp;#039;re scheduled for. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons asks members to &amp;quot;autograph&amp;quot; the limb or area they&amp;#039;re going to operate on before the patient undergoes anesthesia. Obviously, this method won&amp;#039;t work for every surgery, so always review your procedure with the doctor or surgical nurse. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/advice/a16821/medical-mistakes-oct02/>