From October 27 to October 31, 2014, healthcare providers, patients and families will celebrate Canadian Patient Safety Week (CSPW) across Canada. Led by the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI), CSPW is a national annual campaign to increase awareness of patient-safety issues. According to CPSI, people with mental illnesses face unique patient safety issues when receiving healthcare. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of awareness about these issues among healthcare providers at all levels, as well as a lack of evidence related to these issues. Some of the mental healthcare patient safety issues include:
- Suicide and self-harm
- Violence and aggressive behaviour
- Restraint use and seclusion
- Absconding and missing patients
To help ensure patient safety, CPSI recommends a number of tips for patients and families, including:
- Before meeting with a doctor or healthcare provider, write down all of the questions you want to ask.
- Ask a friend or family member to come with you when you talk to your healthcare provider so they can help listen and write down any important information for you.
- Talk about your medications. Make sure you fully understand why you’re taking a medication and how it will improve your health.
CMHA Ontario works with provincial partners and branches on issues related to improving patient care and enhancing patient experience through quality improvement. By gathering relevant information, organizing training and profiling this issue, CMHA Ontario supports the mental health sector to ensure quality improvement for mental healthcare remains a priority.
For more information on Canadian Patient Safety Week, visit asklistentalk.ca