Patients & Families

You Can Help Improve Patient Safety

If a medical error occurs, it is often a result of a series of hidden and unnoticed failures that are individually insignificant to cause an accident, but together can lead to many types of medical errors. The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) is working with all areas of the health care system, including managed care, in our effort to improve patient safety.

Patients can ensure a safer experience with the health care system by being involved and informed about their treatment. By asking questions and following through on their clinicians treatment and instructions, patients can take part in the process and gain confidence in the system. Improving patient safety requires continuous learning and the constant communication of information between caregivers, organizations, and patients. Everyone has a role in patient safety, and everyone will benefit from its successes.

Patient & Families Information On This Page

• NPSF's National Agenda for Action
• What Consumers Can Do
• NPSF Patient Safety Publications for Patients and Families
• Patient Safety Resources for Patients & Families
• Patient Safety Awareness Week

NPSF's National Agenda for Action

Patients and Families in Patient Safety: Nothing About Me, Without Me was developed by the NPSF Patient & Family Advisory Council as a call to action for healthcare organizations at all levels to involve patients and families in systems and patient safety problems. Four areas of involvement include: education and raising awareness, building the culture, suggested areas of research and developing support services to mitigate the effects of a harmful error.

What Consumers Can Do

This consumer fact sheet describes some simple steps a consumer can take to Have a Safer Experience with the Health Care System. These steps include:

• Become a more informed health care consumer
• Keep track of your medical history
• Work with your doctor and other health care professionals as a team
• Involve a family member or friend in your care
• Follow the treatment plan agreed upon by you and your doctor

NPSF Patient Safety Publications for Patients and Families

• Preventing Infections in the Hospital: What you as a patient can do
• What You Can Do To Make Health Care Safer
• Safety As You Go From Hospital To Home
• Pharmacy Safety and Service - What You Should Expect
• Role of the Patient Advocate

From NPSF and the Partnership for Safe Medication Use:

• Think It Through: A Guide to Managing the Benefits and Risks of Medicine

Patient Safety Resources for Patients & Families

View our list of Patient Safety Resources for Patients & Families pages for more information.

Patient Safety Awareness Week

This annual event highlights patient safety around the country. Click here for information on this year's program. 



Email: Patientsandfamilies@npsf.org