Patient Relations & Safety

Fall Prevention

Falls are common among people of all ages with cancer, and they can lead to serious injury. Fatigue, vision impairment, numbness in the feet, low blood counts and dizziness are all common side effects of cancer and cancer treatment that can increase the risk of falling.

Fred Hutch’s fall prevention program includes: 

• Regular patient screening and assessment 
• Interventions to prevent falls for patients at risk 
• A review process to investigate falls and make improvements to reduce the risk of future falls 
• Staff training

Medication Safety

Working in collaboration with our patients and caregivers is a vital part of preventing medication errors and adverse drug reactions.

Please bring an up-to-date list of all medications (both prescription and over-the-counter), vitamins, herbs and supplements you are taking to your medical appointments.

Your care team will: 

• Document this information and share it with the rest of your care team 
• Compare this list with any newly prescribed medications 
• Identify and discuss any potential problems, such as medications that may interact negatively with one another 
• Provide information about new medications
   

What You Can Do

We encourage you to take the following steps to help prevent medication errors: 

• Read the label on your prescription medicine. Make sure the label has your name on it, the correct medicine name and the expected dose. Pay attention to any special instructions on the label, such as instructions to contact your care team for approval before starting oral chemotherapy. Some medicines have similar names that can be confused. Don’t be afraid to speak up if you think you are about to receive the wrong medicine.
  
  
• Read the label of intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (SQ) medications. If you receive IV or SQ therapy — medications that are delivered directly into a vein or tissue — read the label on the medication or ask a friend or family member to do it for you.
  
  
• Ask questions about your new medicine. Your pharmacist, nurse or physician should share information with you about any new medicine, including its brand and generic names. Ask how a new medicine will help, what the possible side effects are and when and how to report issues.
  
  
• Ask for help. If you’re not feeling well enough to ask questions about your medicines, a family member or friend can serve as your advocate, ensuring you receive the right medicines and take them correctly.
  
  
• Tell your nurse or physician if you don’t feel well after taking a medication. If you think you are having a reaction or experiencing side effects, contact your care team immediately.
  
  
• Know how and when to take your medications. Before you leave the clinic or hospital, make sure that you understand all of the instructions for your medications.
  
  
• Know who to contact, and how to reach them, if you have follow-up questions. Before you leave the clinic or hospital, make sure you know how to get in touch with your care team in case you have questions later or need clarification.

Safety Event Review and Disclosure

At Fred Hutch, we strive to anticipate and prevent safety events — errors or incidents that may cause patients harm. However, despite our best efforts, these events can occur. If they do, we acknowledge them and learn from them. When a safety event happens, we take the following steps:

• Inform you and your family. Our highest priority is to respond quickly and effectively by explaining what happened and making sure you have the resources and support you need.
  
  
• Learn from the event to keep it from happening again. We conduct a thorough review of our systems, processes and procedures to identify what led to the safety event and make changes to prevent it from happening in the future.
   

What You Can Do

Being an active member of your care team is one of the most important steps you can take to prevent errors. This means being familiar with your rights and responsibilities as a patient, asking questions; sharing information; learning about your condition, medicines and treatment; and participating in decisions about your care. 

The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality recommends the following tips to prevent errors:

• Speak up if you have questions or concerns. Don’t hesitate to question anyone who is involved in your care. View the Speak Up poster
  
  
• Ask a family member or friend to come with you to medical appointments. A companion can speak up for you if you can’t. They can take notes, help remember important details and act as your advocate.
  
  
• Follow up on test results. After a test or scan, ask your provider how and when you will receive the results.
  
  
• Ask about hand hygiene. Clean hands are key to preventing the spread of infection. Ask all health care workers who have direct contact with you whether they have washed their hands.

Infection Prevention

The Fred Hutch Infection Prevention Program aims to minimize the risk of infection for our patients and staff, providing a safe environment for all. Our evidence-based prevention activities include:

• Real-time infection monitoring and surveillance
• Disease outbreak investigation
• Staff and patient education
• Close collaboration with local public health departments to prevent emerging infectious disease threats