By Dr. Ashok Kumar 

Consultant – General Medicine, MedUnited Hospitals 

Patient safety is not only the hospital’s responsibility 

When we talk about patient safety, many people immediately think about doctors, nurses, medicines, hospital equipment or clinical procedures. 

These are certainly important. 

But in my experience as a General Medicine physician, there is another equally important part of safe healthcare: the patient and the family being actively involved in the treatment process. 

A patient knows things that may not always be immediately visible in a consultation – which medicines they are actually taking, what changed recently, which symptoms started first, whether they have visited another doctor, whether they stopped a medicine because of a side effect and what difficulties they are facing in following the treatment plan.

Sharing this information clearly can make a real difference. 

The World Health Organization describes patient safety as reducing avoidable harm during healthcare and emphasizes effective involvement of patients and families in the care process.  

For people living with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, heart disease, asthma or other long-term illnesses, this becomes even more important because healthcare is not a one-time event. It is a continuing process of consultation, medication, monitoring, lifestyle changes and follow-up.

What does “safe healthcare” actually mean? 

Safe healthcare does not mean that every treatment is completely risk-free. 

Healthcare involves diagnosis, medicines, investigations, procedures and decisions that must be carefully coordinated. 

Patient safety means creating systems and behaviours that reduce unnecessary risks, prevent avoidable errors and identify problems early. WHO emphasizes that safety depends not only on healthcare professionals but also on good processes, communication, information and meaningful patient involvement. 

As a patient, you can contribute to this process in several simple but important ways. 

Tell your doctor the complete story – not just the main symptom

Sometimes a patient comes to the consultation and says: 

“Doctor, I have chest discomfort.” 

But there may be much more information behind that sentence. 

For example: 

• When did the symptom begin? 

• Is it continuous or intermittent? 

• Does it happen during walking or at rest? 

• Are you taking medicines for blood pressure or diabetes? 

• Have you experienced something similar before? 

• Did another doctor prescribe any medication recently? 

• Do you have allergies? 

• Have you undergone any previous surgery or hospitalization? 

These details can influence clinical decision-making. 

My advice to patients is simple: do not hesitate to tell your doctor the full story. 

Even something that seems unrelated may be clinically relevant.

Keep an updated list of all your medicines

This is particularly important for patients with chronic diseases. 

If you are taking medicines prescribed by different doctors, keeping track of them can become difficult. 

I recommend maintaining a simple medication list containing: 

• Medicine name 

• Dose 

• How often you take it 

• Why you are taking it 

• Any known allergy or previous reaction 

• Medicines that were recently stopped or changed 

Do not depend only on memory. 

If possible, carry your prescriptions or medicine strips when you visit a doctor. 

Why does this matter? 

WHO specifically identifies medication safety during transitions of care – such as hospital admission, discharge or movement between healthcare providers – as an important patient-safety issue. Medication discrepancies can occur when medicines are changed, added or stopped and information is not communicated accurately. 

This is why patients should tell their healthcare team about everything they are currently taking, including medicines prescribed elsewhere.

Never change or stop chronic medication on your own

One of the most common situations I see is: 

“My sugar was normal, so I stopped my diabetes medicine.” 

or 

“My blood pressure is normal now, so I stopped the tablets.” 

A normal reading may actually mean that the treatment is working. 

Similarly, increasing a dose, skipping doses, doubling a missed dose or stopping a medicine because you feel better can sometimes create unnecessary risks. 

Medication decisions should be discussed with your treating doctor. 

WHO’s 5 Moments for Medication Safety encourages patients and caregivers to actively participate when starting, taking, adding, reviewing and stopping medicines. 

Ask questions when you do not understand your treatment

There is no such thing as a “silly” question when it concerns your health. 

Before leaving a consultation, make sure you understand: 

• What is my diagnosis or suspected diagnosis? 

• What medicines am I taking? 

• When should I take them? 

• How long should I take them? 

• What should I do if I miss a dose? 

• Do I need any tests? 

• When should I return for follow-up? 

• What symptoms require urgent medical attention? 

If you are caring for an elderly parent, child or another family member, write the instructions down. 

Clear communication is one of the simplest ways patients and healthcare teams can work together toward safer care. WHO’s patient-safety guidance specifically highlights communication and patient/family involvement as important components of safer healthcare.

Bring your previous medical records

A patient’s medical history does not start with today’s consultation. 

Previous: 

• Blood test reports 

• Scans 

• ECGs 

• Echocardiograms 

• Discharge summaries 

• Prescriptions 

• Operation records 

• Previous diagnoses 

• Allergy information 

can help doctors understand the bigger picture. 

This becomes especially important when a patient has a chronic condition or is consulting a new specialist. 

For example, a person with diabetes may eventually need assessment involving General Medicine, Endocrinology, Cardiology, Nephrology, Neurology, Ophthalmology or other specialties depending on their individual health needs. 

MedUnited’s connected-care model is designed around coordination across hospitals, emergency centres, clinics, diagnostics, pharmacy, home care and specialist services.  

Chronic diseases need regular follow-up – even when you feel well

This is one of the most important messages I give my patients. 

Many chronic conditions can remain relatively silent for a long time. 

A person may feel perfectly fine while blood pressure, blood glucose, kidney function or other health parameters are not adequately controlled. 

That is why chronic disease management is not simply: 

Diagnosis → Medicine → Done 

It is more like: 

Assessment → Treatment → Monitoring → Review → Adjustment → Follow-up 

The CDC recommends regular checkups for people living with chronic diseases so that treatment can be reviewed and adjusted when needed. It also emphasizes learning self-management skills and communicating new or worsening symptoms to the healthcare team. 

Diabetes requires more than checking blood sugar

For someone living with diabetes, safe care involves more than looking at one glucose reading. 

Depending on the individual’s condition, doctors may need to consider: 

• Blood glucose control 

• HbA1c 

• Blood pressure 

• Kidney health 

• Cardiovascular risk 

• Foot health 

• Eye health 

• Medication use 

• Diet and physical activity 

• Other medical conditions 

At MedUnited, the General Medicine department provides chronic disease management, preventive care and medical support, while the hospital also has specialist services including Cardiology and Nephrology.  

High blood pressure should not be managed only when symptoms appear

Hypertension is another condition where regular monitoring matters. 

Some people stop taking their medication because they do not have headaches, dizziness or other noticeable symptoms. 

But absence of symptoms does not necessarily mean blood pressure is controlled. 

Safe hypertension management may involve: 

• Regular blood pressure monitoring 

• Taking prescribed medication correctly 

• Follow-up consultations 

• Appropriate laboratory investigations 

• Lifestyle changes 

• Assessment of other cardiovascular or kidney risk factors 

For patients who also have diabetes or kidney disease, coordinated care may become particularly important.

MedUnited’s General Medicine service specifically includes chronic disease follow-up, while its Cardiology and Nephrology departments provide specialist support when required. 

Tell your doctor about side effects

Never silently stop a medicine because you think it is causing a problem. 

Instead, tell your doctor: 

• What happened 

• When it started 

• Which medicine you suspect 

• Whether you changed anything else at the same time 

• Whether the symptom is getting worse 

Your doctor can decide whether the medicine should be continued, adjusted, changed or investigated further. 

This is particularly important when several medicines are being used together.

Be especially careful during hospital admission and discharge

Transitions between home, hospital, specialists and other healthcare settings are important points for medication safety. 

When you are admitted, make sure the healthcare team knows your current medicines. 

When you are discharged, ask: 

“Which medicines should I continue, which have been stopped and which are new?” 

Also ask:

• What is the dose? 

• How long should I take it? 

• When is my follow-up? 

• What warning signs should I watch for? 

• Which reports should I bring to the next consultation? 

WHO recommends structured approaches to medication reconciliation and clear communication at transitions of care because medication discrepancies can occur during these changes.

Your family can be part of your safety team

For elderly patients, children, patients with memory difficulties or people managing several chronic conditions, a trusted family member or caregiver can be extremely helpful. 

They can help with: 

• Keeping medication records 

• Remembering appointments 

• Carrying previous reports 

• Monitoring symptoms 

• Following treatment instructions 

• Communicating changes to the doctor 

Patient safety is not only about the individual patient. WHO recognizes patients and families as important partners in safer healthcare. 

Know when a symptom needs urgent medical attention

Chronic disease should not make us ignore sudden changes. 

Seek urgent medical evaluation for symptoms such as: 

• Severe or sudden chest pain 

• Severe breathing difficulty 

• Sudden weakness or numbness 

• Difficulty speaking 

• Loss of consciousness 

• Severe allergic reaction 

• Significant bleeding 

• Sudden confusion 

• Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms 

For suspected heart attack or stroke, do not wait for a routine appointment. 

MedUnited provides 24/7 emergency services with access to critical care, laboratory, imaging and specialist consultation, along with ambulance support. 

Do not assume that every symptom is caused by your existing disease

This is another important point for people living with chronic conditions. 

A person with diabetes may assume that every episode of tiredness is “because of sugar.” 

A person with hypertension may assume every headache is “because of BP.” 

A person with kidney disease may attribute every change in urine to their existing condition. 

Please do not self-diagnose. 

A new symptom deserves proper medical evaluation, particularly when it is persistent, severe or different from your usual symptoms. 

Use specialist care when your condition requires it

Multispecialty care becomes valuable when a patient’s health problem crosses more than one area of medicine. 

For example: 

Diabetes 

May involve General Medicine, Endocrinology, Cardiology, Nephrology and other specialists depending on complications and individual risk. 

Kidney disease 

May require General Medicine, Nephrology, laboratory testing, imaging and dialysis support where indicated. 

Stroke 

May involve Emergency Medicine, Neurology, Critical Care, imaging and rehabilitation. 

MedUnited’s website describes this coordinated approach as connected care, with multiple specialties and services working together rather than treating healthcare as isolated departments. 

Keep your health information organized

I encourage patients to maintain a simple health folder – physical or digital – containing: 

Your Health Summary 

• Current diagnoses 

• Allergies 

• Current medicines 

• Previous surgeries 

• Important reports 

• Recent investigations 

• Specialist consultations 

• Discharge summaries 

• Emergency contact information 

You do not need a complicated system. 

The goal is simply to make important information available when your healthcare team needs it. 

MedUnited’s services include diagnostic facilities, integrated digital reporting and patient record/history management as part of its broader healthcare infrastructure. 

My 7-point safety checklist for every patient

Before your next consultation, remember: 

ASK 

Understand your diagnosis and treatment. 

LIST 

Maintain an updated list of your medicines. 

SHARE 

Tell your doctor about allergies, previous treatments and other healthcare providers. 

CARRY 

Bring your previous medical records and reports. 

FOLLOW 

Take medicines exactly as prescribed unless your doctor advises a change. 

MONITOR 

Keep track of important health parameters relevant to your condition. 

RETURN 

Do not miss recommended follow-up appointments. 

These seven habits may look simple, but they can make communication between patients, families and healthcare teams much safer. 

A final message from a General Medicine physician 

As doctors, we have a responsibility to provide careful, evidence-based and patient-centred care. 

But safe healthcare works best when doctors and patients work as a team. 

I encourage my patients to ask questions, bring their reports, tell me about every medicine they are taking, speak openly about side effects and never hesitate to clarify something they do not understand. 

If you have a chronic disease, do not wait until you feel unwell to think about your health. 

Regular monitoring, informed decisions, correct medication use and timely medical advice are all part of safer long-term care. 

Your healthcare team is there to guide you. 

Your questions, information and involvement are part of that team. 

– Dr. Ashok Kumar