March 13-19 is Patient Safety Awareness Week! As this week is designed to encourage everyone to learn more about health care safety, we thought it would be a great opportunity to remind you that your admission booklet is an amazing tool for safety awareness for your patients.
Safety in Emergencies
The Emergency Preparedness Section of your booklet includes information about what your patients should do in the event of natural or man-made disasters, inclement weather or emergencies. Be sure to point this section out to your patients so they can review for suggested steps to take in many different situations, what to do to prepare their pets in the event of an emergency situation and a list of items that are recommended to be kept in the home in case of emergencies.
Patient’s Personal Information Safety
The Patient Rights and Responsibilities Section, Notice of Privacy Practices Section and Advance Directives Section provides patient all the information they need in regards to their personal information and how it is used. Patients can refer to these sections if they have questions on if/how/to whom their protected health information is disclosed or how to obtain copies of their protected health information, for example.
Safety in the Home
The Home Safety Section is important to point out to your patients as it includes information on how to remain safe in their home when home care staff is not there. Information on how to safely use home medical equipment, oxygen and medications and how to avoid potential falls are are included in this section to help prevent an accident from occurring.
Infection Safety
The last two years have brought everyone face-to-face with critical infection. While COVID-19 is still active, it is important to remember that it is not the only infectious disease. The Emergency Preparedness Section as well as the Infection Prevention and Control Section of your booklet contain tips for your patients on staying healthy and what to do if they have been exposed to an infected person. At MedForms, we also offer a specifc page related to COVID-19, if you would like to add that to your patient orientation booklet.
It is our honor to help provide safety awareness to the patients you care for and we appreciate you trusting us to help you in that care. If you have questions, please call 1-800-843-9178 or visit medforms.com. If you would like to place a reorder for booklets, please fill out our online form.
