Volunteer Blog

Patient Safety: A Shared Responsibility Between Patient and Healthcare Provider

The Global Picture

Too often the attitude on patient safety is that the health care provider is solely responsible. This is not true. You, as patient, need to be proactive in your medical treatment and prevention program. This means that you should look at yourself as part of the medical team and share the responsibility. Patient safety is a large and complex challenge that requires the cooperation and expertise of the whole team.

ShawneeMission.org provides you with a wealth of information involving patient safety. Listed below are some links that address patient safety:

-    How You Can Get Involved in Your Care
-    Patient Experience Initiatives
-    Patient Safety

Another extremely valuable service is the ASK-A-NURSE Resource Center available at 913-676-7777.

Read more: Patient Safety: A Shared Responsibility Between Patient and Healthcare Provider

Lost at SMMC

Bill was in shock when he received a text message from Roger’s wife stating that Roger was in an auto accident and was rushed to Shawnee Mission Medical Center.  The message also said  he was now out of ER and in room 322 and that Bill should go to the main entrance of SMMC in order to get to the third floor.  Bill knew the location of the hospital but had never been inside.  For Bill, hospitals spelled sickness and death.  As a consequence, he avoided them if at all possible.  In this case, however, Roger was one of Bill’s closest friends and a long-standing fishing buddy.  He would make an exception for his injured friend.

It was an easy drive to SMMC but finding the main entrance was another matter.  Nor did it help Bill think clearly when he was feeling anxious and stressed by being at a hospital.  He did spy some revolving doors that had the appearance of a formal main entrance.  He was in for a rude awakening!  Upon entering, he asked a lady in the front if this was the main entrance and then was informed that it was around on the east side of the hospital.

Read more: Lost at SMMC

The Making of a Great Hospital

Even the casual observer can’t help but notice the enormous strides the medical field has made. What is common practice today was a virtual impossibility a few years ago. As a consequence, according to Innovation.org, “ . . . heart failure and heart attack rates have fallen by nearly half from 1999 to 2005.” This same source also states that “in the past ten years over 300 new medicines have been approved by the FDA.” Certainly, many of these advancements have been the result of the tremendous growth in technology. Information technology has in a word, revolutionized hospitals from facility management to surgery.

Read more: The Making of a Great Hospital

Through the Eyes of the Patient

What really goes through a patient’s mind and what emotions are felt? How do they view their patient experience at SMMC? I’ve often wondered about these questions. Being a volunteer at the main entrance admissions, you see people coming in for a variety of procedures and you can’t help but imagine what it is really like. Then it dawned on me...I could volunteer for a procedure! I must quickly confess that when my doctor talked to me about getting a colonoscopy I don’t recall that he used the word “volunteer.” With that clarification, I would invite you to travel with me on the “volunteer procedure at SMMC.”

First stop on the journey was the all-important, palm sweating call to schedule the procedure. Being somewhat of sound mind and body, a colonoscopy had been something very difficult to schedule because I have always had more important things to do. Finally I began to wonder what was wrong with my busy calendar. It became particularly evident when my doctor told me he didn’t want to have a discussion about it again next year. To be blunt, I was behaving in a cowardly manner. When I talked with the nurse at Dr. Michael Thompson’s office, she was very reassurring and explained the required preparation before the procedure. As soon as I heard about the clear liquid diet the day before, I immediately had the urge to stuff myself with food. And all of those “cleansing pills” weren’t exactly heartwarming.

Read more: Through the Eyes of the Patient