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Patient Safety Awareness Week celebrations program-wide

Last week, March 4 - 10, National Patient Safety Awareness Week was celebrated programwide at Kaiser Permanente. The week highlighted a national education and awareness-building campaign for improving patient safety at the local level. Discover how Kaiser Permanente recognized efforts for this campaign in your region:

Colorado | Georgia | Hawaii | Mid Atlantic States | Northern California | Northwest | Ohio | Southern California | National

Colorado

Georgia

This year's theme was "Patient Safety - A Road Taken Together." To increase awareness at the staff and member level throughout the Georgia region, Patient Safety posters were made available in all facilities.

Posters entitled "Patient Safety: Join Your Health Care Team" included suggestions for members on how they can take an active role in promoting patient safety, such as:

  • Ask questions at your appointment
  • Bring a friend or family member to the appointment
  • Be patient with questions from your health care team
  • Tell your health care team about your medications
  • Learn about your test results
  • Talk about your expectations
  • Talk about your surgery

Daily Patient Safety Tips were emailed to the region, such as:

Patient Safety - Encourage the patient to join you in their care

  • Encourage the patient to ask questions. "Do you have any questions today?"
  • Answer the patient's questions clearly. Make sure the patient understands what you are trying to communicate.
  • Use words the patient will understand. Do not use medical jargon.
  • Repeat back to the patient the questions they are asking, to make sure you understand what their concerns are.
  • Engage the family member or friend that may accompany the patient to the appointment. Allow the person to be involved.
  • Listen to the patient's concerns or complaints.
  • Document the patient's questions, concerns, or complaints and your responses to the patient.

Patient Safety.every patient's right, everyone's responsibility

Thank you for helping promote a culture of safety at Kaiser Permanente.

Hawaii

Mid-Atlantic States

Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States celebrated National Patient Safety Awareness Week with planned activities such as:

  • Daily broadcast messages from senior leaders on pertinent safety-related topics.
  • A special issue of Quality Currents that will cover patient safety issues such as situational awareness, task fixation information, and the collaboration between workplace safety and patient safety.
  • Continuing Medical Education (CME) presentations about use of "SBAR," a structured communication technique that has four components: Situation; Background; Assessment and Recommendation. It is designed to facilitate communication of complex information in a way that empowers the initiator to offer his/her recommendations.
  • Distribution of Patient Safety Tool Kits that contain a host of safety-related resources such as schedules for internal and external patient safety education programs, copies of Quality Currents , workplace safety tips, medication safety tips, and lists of patient safety websites.
  • Information about the launch of the new SAFETY SUGGESTIONS voicemail box for staff and practitioners who wish to make suggestions to improve safety in our care settings and workplace.

For questions or comments please contact Anne Irving, KPMAS Regional Patient Safety Officer, 301-816-6580; or Carol Forster, MD, MAPMG Physician Manager of Patient Safety, 301-816-7194.

Northern California

  • This week on IKP: NCAL, see how "How Walking & Talking Boosts Patient Safety." The story illustrates how regular walkarounds to various areas of a medical center, conducted by hospital administration, opens discussion of potential - and real - hazards adversely affecting patients and employees.
  • Three other stories on IKP: NCAL exemplify Patient Care at the facility level:
  • "Service Is Big--but Often Delivered in Small Ways " discusses the Quiet Campaign at the Walnut Creek Medical Center .
  • Find out what the Five Cs are, and how they are key to improving in-patient care at a regional level.
  • Finally, see how the Hayward Med Center 's "magical moment" inpatient-care campaign makes important connections with the patient and their family.
  • Find all or visit the NCAL Patient Safety Web site for ideas on how to celebrate National Patient Safety Awareness Week

Northwest

Ohio

Southern California

  • KPSC President Benjamin Chu's thoughtful message on InsideKP: SCAL outlined Patient Safety efforts in the region. He recognized the beneficial impact of such programs as the Nurse Knowledge Exchange as part of their goal to intertwine Patient Safety with a high quality of care.
  • Regional offices at Walnut Center staffed a booth Patient Safety Awareness booth, displaying the importance of Hand Hygiene and asking questions about your medications. Hand sanitizer gift baskets were awarded to those who passed a Hand Hygiene quiz, medication cards were given away, and bookmarks with Patient Safety information were also handed out.
  • Baldwin Park used national Patient Safety Week to heighten staff awareness and celebrated by:
  • Creating special travel-type posters, depicting the 2007 National Patient Safety Goals, with the "PASSPORT TO SAFETY," and placing them throughout the facility. Participants received a "passport" of 20 Patient Safety questions. One raffle ticket was awarded for every five correct answers and the prizes were themed gift baskets.
  • Members of the Risk Management and Patient Safety Department, together with volunteers from Performance Improvement and Infection Control, visited units in the medical center and the MOBs. They asked the staff about Patient Safety and awarded correct answers with a small prize -- a pen that says "PATIENT SAFETY IS ALWAYS ON OUR MINDS".
  • A Poster Contest was held for each department to show how they actively involve the patient in their own care experience, thus addressing the national Patient Safety Goal #13. The winning unit or department will be treated to a Pizza Party.
  • Banners in the Rotunda of the medical center and all outlying MOBs read "PATIENT SAFETY IS ALWAYS ON OUR MINDS."
  • In member areas, posters were displayed to remind Members of their involvement in the health care process and team.
  • Bellflower in addition to displaying "Patient Safety - A Road Taken Together" banners, flyers, and balloons at the medical center and clinics, two events were staged:
  • A Patient Safety Fair for all KP members, visitors, physicians and staff. The fair was designed to heighten awareness of Patient Safety in a fun learning environment. Attendees collected raffle tickets at any of the 4 Patient Safety Fair booths. Participants could answer questions about Patient Safety topics and National Patient Safety Goals at the two Challenge Booths. In the other two booths, Glo-Germ Hand Hygiene provided a visual revelation of participants' hand hygiene efforts, and Patient Safety questionnaires captured suggestions for patient safety improvements. There were hourly gift bag raffles and an End-of-the-Day gift raffle. All participants turned in their raffle tickets to spin the Patient Safety Wheel for a thank-you prize. Three grand prize winners were chosen from the completed Patient Safety puzzles.
  • In the middle of the week, a Patient Safety booth operated in the lobby with the help of volunteers from Bellflower 's Patient Safety Advisory Council members. Open to all KP members, visitors, physicians, and staff, it provided Patient Safety-related information, such as Patient Safety brochures, Medication Safety, Medication wallet cards, Hand Hygiene awareness, Patient Safety questionnaire, KPNS, and KP.org information. Also available at the booth was a Patient Safety questionnaire and a complimentary cup of coffee as a thank you for learning about and promoting Patient Safety.
  • Fontana put on a Patient Safety film festival, during lunch with food & popcorn. The featured movie was an episode from the PBS series "Remaking American Medicine, the Josie King Story." If attendance and interest is high enough, this will become a regular feature at the facility. In addition, a Patient Safety fair took place at the same time as the Friday Farmers' Mkt. Both events were open to staff & members. The fair, hosted inside Fontana's disaster tent, was decorated with life-sized images from the movie "The Wizard of Oz," plus balloons and a creative poster designed by Dr. Isinhue, which clearly illustrates that there's no place like KP! Tables were set up for staff & patients to talk about such topics as medication safety, poison control, health literacy, fall prevention and preventative medicine. During the fair, staff and members judged contest entries for a SBAR contest. Staff were asked to "give us their best SBAR" during Patient Safety week. A roving Patient Safety advocate asked nurses questions related to Patient Safety. If they answered correctly, they won a delicious "$100K" prize (hint: it was covered in chocolate!).

On a national level, visit: