Your safety as a patient

Here are some simple ideas for preventing medical errors from happening to you.

Even the best doctors and hospitals sometimes make mistakes, but you can help prevent or avoid many of them.

• Choose your doctor carefully. Check out the Physician Quality section to learn more.
• Keep a list of all the medicines you take, how often you take them, and their dosage (20 mg, 40 mg, etc.)
• Choose your treatment carefully from the options the doctor gives you. Read our page about Quality Quick Checks, here, to find out how.
• Let your doctor know if you have questions or concerns. Write down your questions so you don't forget!
• Ask for the results of any test or procedure, and ask questions until you understand exactly what the results mean.
• If you need surgery, make sure you understand what will happen during the procedure, and what results you can expect.

Learn more about how to keep yourself safe

For a closer look at how to be a smarter health care shopper and consumer, you can:

• Browse our listing of quick checks for quality
• View and print a guide to using medications safely (89KB PDF)
• Read the Guide to Health Care Quality: How To Know It When You See It, on the website of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the US Department of Health and Human Services
• Read 20 tips for preventing medical errors