Patient Education Video
About the DVD
Your Hospital Stay" is a tool developed by ASHP and Hospira, Inc., to teach patients about the steps hospitals and health systems take to ensure medication safety. The video stresses the important role patients play in medication safety and encourages them to actively participate in their care.
Watch the Video
The video will teach patients:
- The important role patients play by participating in their care;
- The critical information that should be shared with health-care professionals, including allergies and current prescription and non-prescription therapies;
- The need to ask questions, especially about anything the patient doesn't understand;
- The importance of recognizing and reporting side effects to treatments;
- The value of involving a family member or caregiver in patient care; and
- The use of technologies that improve safety, including computers and bar codes.
The video depicts pharmacists as medication experts as they advise physicians, nurses, and other medical staff on new and exisiting drugs, effective treatment regimens, and the selection and administration of drugs.
How to Use the DVD
"Your Hospital Stay" is a valuable resource for improving outcomes. To have the video played on your institution's closed circuit or on-demand television system you should:
- Submit the video for review by the appropriate department/committee: Depending on our institution, that could be the patient education committee, the public relations department, or the patient safety department. These committees usually meet monthly, so it is important that you contact them early so that the video review can be scheduled for the next meeting.
- Provide context: The committee may ask you to complete a form with basic information about the video, such as the time, length, and topic. Offer details about the video and describe why it is a valuable patient education tool.
- Stay in touch: When you submit the video for review ask for a timeline. Check in with the reviewers to ensure that they have all the information they need to make a decision.
- Know your options: The video can also be played on a standard DVD player, laptop computer, or video education systems available in new medication administration carts. It can be shown to patients as part of their admissions process, in the admissions waiting area, or at a patient's bedside.
For more information, contact Aretha Hankinson at ahankinson@ashp.org.