The American Hospital Association observes that achievement of quality and patient safety relies on delivery of the right care at the right time in the right setting, which also forms the core mission of hospitals across the US. Relevant federal and private agencies invest on provision of information and assistance on improvement care collaboratively lawmakers, research agencies, and regulators to create a policy environment that prioritizes quality and safety. Consumers of health care products and services benefit from understanding some of the issues in accessing the best care and prepare in advance to address them. However, provision of health care is a complicated process which may be attributed to steps involved. Consequently, there is a consensus among stakeholders of the risks faced by patients checking into a hospital. Patients expecting to get better may end up worsening their condition. Horror stories exist of risks during and after surgery, danger of medical complications such as excessive bleeding or infection, or human errors such as wrong dosage (Griffin, 2007). It is imperative to examine some of these concerns to shed light into the predicament of patients in hospital settings.
Safety concerns of patients in the hospital may start right from checking in and are not limited to those admitted to the facility. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that medical errors are inevitable in a hospital setting. Diagnostic errors concerns of patients and refers to wrong, missed, or unintentionally delayed diagnosis. They can be no-fault errors due to masked or unusual symptoms of the disease, too much reliance of the clinician on common symptoms, or lack of full cooperation from the patient. Diagnostic errors may also stem from system-related failures involving equipment failure or flaws in communication.
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Health care acquired infections, which are contracted while under treatment for a medical condition, and nosocomial infections, which generally refer to diseases acquired in a hospital setting are other common concerns. Catheter-related bloodstream infections, hospital acquired pneumonia, and surgical site infections are common examples. Patients also face the risk of falls in a hospital, especially the elderly with motion and balance problems from impaired nervous coordination of muscle weakness. Medication errors are also risks as patients can receive wrong medication or the right medication in a wrong dosage. Medication errors such as wrong dosage can also contribute to drug resistance, a common phenomenon in hospital settings. According to Griffin (2007), these very common errors harm millions of patients annually. Patients also have concerns of readmission due to poor quality care that requires them to return to the hospital less than 3o days after discharge.
Reference
Griffin, M. R. (2007). Common problems patients face in the hospital. Web MD. Retrieved 29/8/2017 from: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/before-surgery-your-top-six-hospital-risks#1.
