SPEAK UP - Making Healthcare Safer for Georgia Regents Medical Center Patients
You are the most important member of your healthcare team, so your participation is encouraged in decisions about your treatment.
- If you are coming for an outpatient appointment, bring a list of questions to ask your doctor and write down the answers. If you are hospitalized, ask your nurse to go over each day's plan of care.
- Keep copies of your medical records from past hospitalizations and share those with your caregivers.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion.
- We encourage you to speak up. Our “Speak Up” campaign encourages you to take a more active role in your healthcare by speaking up if you have questions or concerns and if your doctor or nurse does something that doesn’t seem quite right.
Speak up if you have concerns. If you don’t understand something, ask again. It is your body, and you have the right to know.
Pay attention to the care you receive. Make sure you get the right treatments and medications from the right health professionals. Do not assume anything.
Educate yourself about your diagnosis, the medical tests you are undergoing and your treatment plan.
Ask a trusted family member or friend to serve as your advocate.
Know what medications you take and why you take them.
Use a facility like Medical Center, which has undergone a rigorous on-site quality and safety evaluation.
Participate in all decisions about your treatment.
