PCH offers tips with Patient Safety Awareness Week March 12-16.

In recognition of Patient Safety Awareness Week, Putnam County Hospital (PCH) offers a number of tips to help patients stay safe and take an active role in their care.

Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 12-16, is observed annually to raise awareness of important patient safety issues.

“Patient safety is an integral part of the care we provide and ingrained within our hospital culture,” Wendi O’Hair said. “We welcome this opportunity to celebrate Patient Safety Awareness Week in collaboration with the Indiana Hospital Association with our patients, our staff and our community.”

PCH offers the following tips to help patients stay safe and comfortable during their hospital stay:

• Speak up. You must trust your health care provider, but remember communication is a two-way street. If you have a question or concern about your care, ask your doctor.

• Keep your hands clean. Hand hygiene is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infection. Keep your hands clean and make sure providers clean their hands before touching you. “Wash your hands, save a life, be a lifesaver”

• Educate yourself. Unfortunately, it’s possible to get an infection in the hospital while being treated for something else. Know the signs and symptoms of infection, and let your health care provider know if you experience them.

• Participate in treatment decisions. Your health care provider has your best interests in mind, but you must be an active participant in your own care. Discuss all treatment options so you can make an informed decision together.

“Patient safety is everyone’s responsibility, from physicians and nurses to patients and visitors,” O’Hair said. “We must all work together to ensure patients receive the best, safest care.”

For more information about Patient Safety Awareness Week, go to www.unitedforpatientsafety.org. and visit www.pchosp.org.