Monitoring Hospital Care

When you go to the hospital for treatment of a health diagnosis, you expect that you're going to get the best care possible. However, more and more reports are coming out that medical mistakes seem to be the norm.

A new report from the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality examining drug mistakes and children showed that one out of every 15 children who are hospitalized are hurt because of mix-ups, accidental overdoses or bad reactions. This shouldn't be a surprise, since every year we hear stories about hospital deaths that occurred because of staff mistakes. HealthGrades, a healthcare rating organization, has said that nearly 200,000 deaths every year can be attributed to hospital mistakes.

This news doesn't mean you're powerless in the healthcare system. Whether you are hospitalized or your child is hospitalized for a health diagnosis, it's important to question every caregiver who administers medication. Find out what is being administered, how much and why, and ask questions if you are concerned. There's nothing wrong with asking a question, because it might just save your life. [MSNBC]