Patient Safety and Quality

Be an Active Member of Your Health Care Team

At UM Shore Regional Health, we are committed to providing quality, patient-centered care in all of our inpatient and outpatient programs. Providing safe and effective treatment — and supporting patients and loved ones challenged by managing illness and recovery — are our highest priorities.

Because you know yourself or your family member best, you can play and important role in assisting the health care team in providing optimal care. We encourage you to follow these guidelines:

• Be sure to answer the doctors' and nurses' questions as completely as you can so that your care providers have a full picture of your health status and related information.
• If you do not understand something, ask for clarification. Our nurses, physicians and other staff are here for you and will take the time to explain any aspect of your care.
• If something doesn't look or feel right to you, question it.
• Be sure to promptly notify a health care professional about any problems you or your loved one are experiencing, so that he or she can take quick action.
• Follow instructions carefully.

Preparing for Surgery

If you are having surgery, there are steps you can take to ensure you receive the safest care. Here are some tips:

• Be sure to read the consent form before you sign it to make sure that all written information is correct.
• On the day of surgery, tell the doctor and nurse your name, date of birth and what part of your body is being operated on.
• If your surgery is going to be on your spine or the left or right side of your body, expect that our staff will confirm the location with you and will mark that side with a checkmark, for example: your left arm, right knee or right side of your head. If your procedure is on your left lung and cannot be physically marked, staff will mark the side on a drawing of the human body on your chart.
• Speak up if you believe the staff has any information that is wrong or not completely correct. We want to make sure that your surgery or procedure goes exactly as planned.

Rapid Response

Rapid Response is a way to receive immediate help from a doctor for a sudden and worrisome change in your loved one's condition.

While we keep a close watch on our patients so that we are alerted early to any possible problems in their condition, family members are often the best eyes and ears for the staff. We respect that you may notice changes in your loved one before we do. If you have particular concerns that your loved one's condition is taking a turn for the worse, be sure to ask the nurse taking care of him or her to start the rapid response process.

When you request the patient's nurse to start the rapid response process, he or she will assess the patient right away and contact the doctor to come to the unit if needed.

If called by the nurse, the doctor will come right away to assess the problem and begin the necessary treatment.

Reporting Concerns About Your Care

The University of Maryland Medical System is committed to providing patients with quality care. However, you may have concerns about the care you or your loved one is receiving. Please alert us right away so we may address these concerns and take care of the problem. Patients and their loved ones have the right to voice concerns about the care they are provided.