Wellness Mind & Body How to Avoid Becoming a Medical Mistake By Health.com Editorial Team Health.com Editorial Team An article by 'Health.com Editorial Team' indicates a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, several writers and editors may contribute to an article over the years. These collaborations allow Health.com editors to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available. The editors at Health.com are a dedicated team of experienced health editors, writers, and other media professionals who strive to bring trustworthy and responsible health and medical content to their readers. As a team, we have decades of experience in health journalism, and have worked at legacy publishers and some of the biggest news and media companies in the U.S. health's editorial guidelines Published on September 5, 2001 Share Tweet Pin Email IstockphotoFrom Health magazine Medical mistakes cause nearly 100,000 deaths every year. One of those fatalities was Josie King, an 18-month-old whose mother has recently written a book to help other patients—large and small—avoid danger. Josies Story: A Mothers Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe includes lots of stay-safe tips, including these: 1. Take notes Keep track of names of staff, medications, test results, and procedures on a notepad or in your iPhone (or have a loved one do it). The minute youre confused, demand clarification. 2. Insist on hand-washing Hospital-acquired infections like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) account for 99,000 deaths every year. So when a doctor or nurse comes into the room, ask her to wash her hands before she touches you. 3. Hello, my name is … Identify yourself constantly. Whenever the nurse (or anyone treating you) gives you meds or anything else, make sure she checks your hospital-issued ID bracelet and then ask her, “Is this for me? My name is _____.” The average patient experiences one drug mistake in the hospital every day. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit