BACKGROUND: In fall 2002, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network (LVHHN), an 800-bed, three-site academic community hospital, embarked on an initiative to produce an educational patient safety video. IMPLEMENTING THE INITIATIVE: The video addresses six topics relevant to optimum patient safety: treatment plan, medication safety, falls, surgical site identification, hand washing, and discharge planning. Each segment outlines strategies that patients may employ or observations they should make to improve patient safety.
RESULTS: Analysis of the patient survey data, which were based on 217 surveys, indicated that patients felt more comfortable talking with their health care workers about questions or concerns after viewing the video and that they rated their knowledge of patient safety higher. Patients generally rated the six sections as helpful.
DISCUSSION: The video was intended to become an important step in the preadmission process. Releasing the video to patients and staff helped to normalize some practices that initially were not comfortable for staff (repeatedly asking an inpatient for his or her name and date of birth before administering all medications) or patients (inquiring whether a staff member has washed his or her hands). Additional methods were in development to share the video with current and prospective patients and assess its impact. The LVHHN patient safety council plans to share the video with the community at large
