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National Patient Safety Awareness

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reminds beneficiaries and health care professionals what patients and their local healthcare providers can do to improve the safety of care. CMS is also working to make health care safer through its Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program.

What can patients/consumers do to make health care safer?

According to the National Patient Safety Foundation, consumers can help bring patient safety to the forefront of healthcare providers' agendas:

  • Ask your hospital or health care professional about patient safety, and how communication and partnership between you and your providers can be improved.
  • Ask your hospital or health care organization what they are doing for Patient Safety Awareness, and attend events to learn more about patient safety.
  • Communicate with your provider about your health care safety concerns.
  • Let your health care provider know who they should talk with in the case that you are unable to speak for yourself.


Consumers can also work with the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) in their state to raise concerns about the quality or safety of care they or a loved one have received under the Medicare program. QIOs will work to find the reason why things happened to cause the concern and to determine the likelihood that it will happen again. The purpose of a quality of care review is not to punish the doctor, but to help improve care delivery for future patients. In cases where chances are high that the scenario will happen again, the QIO will help health care providers make changes in procedures to prevent future problems.

CMS has published two guides for consumers about working with QIOs about quality/safety of care problems.

Consumers can learn more about how the QIO works with them in their state by visiting the directory of QIOs online at http://www.medicare.gov/Contacts.

What is CMS doing to make health care safer?

In addition to working with consumers on quality of care problems, QIOs are working nationwide with select hospitals and nursing homes to improve patient safety by:

  • Improving surgical safety/infection rates.
  • Reducing rates of certain infections in hospitals.
  • Intensively working with "nursing homes in need."
  • Improving care for patients with heart failure.
  • Preventing pressure ulcers (or "bed sores") in patients from nursing homes and hospitals.
  • Eliminating physical restraints in nursing homes.
  • Combating drug-drug interactions and potentially inappropriate medication errors.

Health care professionals can learn more about how QIOs are making care safer at http://www.qualitynet.org/medqic. This website contains more information about each of these tasks, as well as tools designed to help providers improve quality in each of these areas. Professionals can also contact the Patient Safety QIO Support Center at psqiosc@okqio.sdps.org.



It's Not Too Late to Give and Get the Flu Shot!

In the US, the peak of flu season typically occurs anywhere from late December through March; however, flu season can last as late as May. Each office visit presents an opportunity for you to talk with your patients about the importance of getting an annual flu shot and a one time pneumococcal vaccination. Protect yourself, your patients, and your family and friends by getting and giving the flu shot. Don't Get the Flu. Don't Give the Flu.

Remember - Influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations plus their administration are covered Part B benefits. Note that influenza and pneumococcal vaccines are NOT Part D covered drugs.

Health care professionals and their staff can learn more about Medicare's Part B coverage of adult immunizations and related provider education resources, by reviewing Special Edition MLN Matters article SE0838 http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0838.pdf on the CMS website.



Dr. Dorner's Commercial Featured on Local News Website!

Check out a commercial for Dr. Brian Dorner and his practice, Capital City Cosmetic Surgery, on the NBC Channel 4 Web site.