Patient safety in your hands

The Canadian Patient Safety Institute has declared Oct. 20–27 as the 2006 Canadian Patient Safety Week.
This year’s theme is hand hygiene—an important contributor to patient safety in health care settings.
Riverside Health Care Facilities, Inc. will be celebrating the week with a public information booth set up in the main lobby of La Verendrye Hospital on Thursday (Oct. 26) from 2-4 p.m.
Jodi Jewell, the occupational health co-ordinator at Riverside, will be discussing proper hand-washing techniques and information will be available about influenza and patient safety.
There also will be giveaways and prizes for those who participate.
“Proper hand hygiene is considered to be the single-most effective means to prevent the spread of infection, both in the community and in health care facilities,” noted Jewell.
She stressed patient safety remains a top priority in the health care system, and that Patient Safety Week provides an opportunity to focus on many of the improvements made to ensure patient safety in this country.
More information on Canadian Patient Safety Week initiatives can be found at www.patientsafetyweek.ca