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`Patient safety' is still not widely understood: survey

Many people are not aware that they can play an active role in helping guarantee the safety of patients at hospitals and clinics, according to a survey released yesterday.

The survey, conducted by the Taipei Medical University between July and early this month on nearly 300 medical professionals and more than 300 Taipei citizens, gauged people's level of understanding about maintaining patient safety.

According to the survey, announced at a seminar at the medical university yesterday,more than 50 percent of people said they would not wear a surgical mask when visiting hospitalized patients because they believed it was unnecessary.

Only 67 percent of the people said they would wash their hands when seeing a doctor or visiting hospitalized friends or family, the survey said.

More than 60 percent of the people said they would try to "diagnose" their own illness before seeking professional advice, according to the investigation.

The director of the university's office of continuing education, Chu Tzu-pin (朱子斌), said at the conference that the Department of Health has been seeking to promote patient safety consciousness at medical institutions since 2004.

He added that the department had put extra effort into the initiative this year.

Chu conceded, however, that the high percentage of people who fail to wear surgical masks when going to a hospital showed that there may still be a gap in the department's promotional efforts.

He added that research conducted by National Yangming University's Institute of Hospital and Health Care last year showed that about 56 percent of patients surveyed had never even heard of the idea of patient safety. Medical professionals should not be the only people who are responsible for patients' wellbeing, he said, adding that patients and their family should also share the responsibility.

Vice president of Wanfang Hospital Chiu Wen-ta (邱文達), said inviting people to participate in promoting patients' safety will remain a priority because patients have to play an active role in their own treatment.
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