Test your patient safety know-how
Americans do so like a good quiz, assuming it carries no penalty for wrong answers. Witness the popularity of the Cosmo questionnaires: “Are You Enough of a Bad Girl?” “Do You Ace a First Date?” “Are You an Oversharer or Mysterious?” to name a few.
Now comes a quiz that even the most painfully modest, prudish or uptight can enjoy. The Patient Safety IQ Quiz.
Let’s take a look at the first question:
“Which of the following statements is true?
a. Hand washing helps prevent infection.
b. Using hand sanitizer (liquid, gel or foam) helps prevent infection.
c. Getting a flu shot helps prevent disease and infection.
d. All of the above.”
Perhaps “enjoy” was too strong a word — all the questions are like that.
They’re taken from the Joint Commission’s Speak Up patient safety program. And they’re fun … interesting? … educational? — let’s go with educational — in their own right. (Though if you miss any of them, you’ve been spending way too much time flipping through magazines at the checkout stands and far too little time reading the fun … interesting? … educational? — let’s go with educational — posts on the L.A. Times’ Booster Shots blog.)
The commission accredits healthcare organizations in the U.S., and it has a vested interest in persuading consumers to take more responsibility for their own safety.
Not to brag, but I got a perfect score.
To test yourself, go to the agency’s website, https://www.jointcommission.org/GeneralPublic.
