It’s Canadian Patient Safety Week 2019

Sunnybrook proudly takes part in Canadian Patient Safety Week annually, celebrated in 2019 from October 28 to November 1.

Sunnybrook’s theme for Canadian Patient Safety Week 2019 is ‘Teamwork.' We polled 100 patients and family members across Sunnybrook to ask them to share the ways staff team up with patients to support their safety in hospital. Here are the top five staff behaviours patients feel support their safety in hospital:

#1 Strong Team Communication
#2 Taking a Person Centered Care approach
#3 Providing Reliable & Consistent Care
#4 Paying Attention to Detail
#5 Providing Education and Encouragement

Patient engagement is important to prevent patient safety incidents from occurring and improve care safety. Our patients and family members can be great contributors in the development of safety processes within our organization. Here are some of the ways:

• Patients and family members have unique insights into care processes based on their experience.
• Patients are always present in their own care, unless impaired by factors beyond their control. Patients know better than anyone else when a symptom changes or they experience treatment impacts, and they are able to communicate this to their care team.
• The courage and resilience of patients and family members can inspire and energize their care team.

Through patient and family engagement we have been able to improve the quality and safety of the care we provide at Sunnybrook. We would like to thank all of the patients and family members who have engaged in this process and we hope that our patient and family partnerships continue to grow larger and stronger for years to come.

Please see the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Canadian Patient Safety Institute resources and tools to support patient and family empowerment and engagement in patient safety below:

1. Empowered Patient – A guide to empower patients and families to recognize signs of clinical deterioration and also when they should request an assessment from the care team.
2. 5 Questions to ask about your medications – a resource to enhance patient and family knowledge and ability to complete medication administration and to also increase awareness of any required follow-up.
3. Patient Question Checklist – a resource designed to offer patients and families information about how they can help stop the spread of healthcare-associated infections though good hand hygiene.
4. Hand Hygiene - a guide to preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections
5. Sunnybrook Patient and Visitors Education Guide
6. Sunnybrook Patient and Family Engagement Resources
7. Sunnybrook Patient and Family Education and Tips for general safety, engagement in safe care and also medication safety while in hospital.