The Final Check: A strategy of Patient Engagement

Abstract

Effectively engaging patients in their care plays a pivotal role in patient safety and quality. Final check is a strategy of involving patient in their care. Final check or taking ok from patients is a last step and a final verification as a safety measure to ensure zero errors. Nurses do not involve the patient in the last step of verification which leads to errors and sentinel events. For routine procedures nurses do not do any verification involving the patient. As a result, several incidences occur due to the wrong patient, wrong medication, wrong procedure, wrong route, wrong quantity, wrong shifting, wrong transfusions etc. Before starting any patient care activities such as Medication administration, Blood transfusion, Sample collection, shifting to operation theatre, shifting for any procedure etc., taking an “OK” from the patient after the patient verifies the details is crucial.