"Medical mistakes are not about bad doctors or uncaring nurses any more than plane crashes are about unskilled pilots," says Vicki Rackner M.D., founder of Medical Bridges. "Medical mistakes happen because health care is complex. It is delivered by people, and people make mistakes."

Medical Bridges, a company that offers tools to promote a better partnership between patients and doctors reminds family caregivers that they can join the hospital staff's efforts to assure their hospitalized parents get safe medical care. Three simple questions offer protection against the dreaded path in which parents become victims of medical errors.

The most common preventable medical errors involve medication mistakes and infections spread by the unwashed hands of health care providers, Dr. Rackner says. She admits that most patients have the resiliency to bounce back from medical errors without major harm just as most drivers who unintentionally run a red light don't get injured. However, aging parents who have less physiologic reserve are at higher risk for bad outcomes.

"Members of the health care team are working diligently to build safety measures into the health care delivery system. Patients and their loved ones can be an important part of the solution," notes Dr. Rackner. "Here are three questions may save the lives of hospitalized patients:"

1. What is that medication?
Every time a nurse offers a medication, ask what medication is being offered , what it treats and why it's prescribed. This way the patient can avoid being given medication intended for the patient across the hall. Computerized order entry systems are an effort to avoid medication dosing errors and flag potentially dangerous drug-drug interactions. However, the right dose of the right medication given to the wrong patient is still a problem.

2. Could you please wash your hands?
Every health care provider needs to wash before touching patients every time. Sometimes even the most conscientious doctors and nurses forget. It can be embarrassing for patients and their loved ones to remind the staff to do something basic like washing. Overcome the embarrassment. Aging parents' lives may depend on it. Maybe you can make a sign that says "Please wash" and post it over the bed and point to it when needed.

3. Did you know my name is….?
Things move fast at hospitals. One way to assure that members of the hard-working transport staff do not whisk the wrong patient to a medical test is to assure that they know who they’re transporting. A causal questions like “You’re here to take my father Frank Jones to the endoscopy suite, right?” is an added layer of protection that reinforces the hospital’s transport policy and procedures.

Vicki Rackner M.D. president of Medical Bridges, is a surgeon who left the operating room to help patients partner more effectively with their doctors. She's a speaker, author and consultant.

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