Think about this situation for a moment. Staff members of the Joint Commission spend their working lives behind the scenes in hospitals to check on the quality of care provided. And they are advising you to watch out for yourself and speak up.

A part of the U.S. government, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, also offers brochures and podcasts that you can download or use online. Find these at www.ahrq.gov/consumer/safety.html#errors. An example of the brochures AHRQ offers is "Your Guide to Preventing and Treating Blood Clots." Blood clots are common side effects of hospital care, and kill five times as many people each year as breast cancer does.

What pointers should you keep in mind?

First, be as clear as possible about what alarms you. For example, "I am seeing two of everything" is more useful than "There is something wrong with my eyes." However, if you don't know what is wrong but you suddenly feel worse, it still makes sense to raise the alarm.

Second, know who you are talking with. Dozens of people may enter your hospital room each day. You may not get the right attention if you complain only to the person who is there to pick up your menus or take you for a medical test. It is best to raise your concerns to a nurse or doctor.


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