Cathay Hospital holds Patient Safety Week activities. This year’s theme is “Doctors and patients work together to maintain safety.”
Seeing different departments and getting medicines from different hospitals. If you take painkillers or health food on your own, the risk of medication may increase. 72-year-old Grandpa Lin suffers from diabetes, chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure. He is used to seeing doctors and taking medicines in different hospitals. Not only does he often mix up the medication times, but he recently took commercially available painkillers on his own due to joint pain, without paying attention to the possibility of drug interactions and increased burden on the kidneys. Fortunately, his personal caretaker found out that he could avoid worsening of acute kidney function in time.
Jian Zhicheng, director of Cathay General Hospital, said that patient safety not only relies on medical staff to implement various procedures, but also requires the participation of patients and their families. Asking more questions and confirming once more when seeing a doctor can help clarify the treatment content, increase understanding and peace of mind, especially patients who suffer from multiple chronic diseases and take multiple drugs at the same time, they should take the initiative to ask questions so that the medical team can have complete information.
Every time Grandpa Lin returns to the clinic, he always has to carry medicine bags from several different hospitals. He is often confused when faced with multiple medicines and different medication times. This self-administration of painkillers for joint pain also highlights that when seeking medical treatment across hospitals, if the medical team is not informed of all the drugs currently being used, it may be difficult to identify potential risks in a timely manner.
Taiwan has entered a super-aging society. A survey by the National Health Service found that more than 80% of elderly people over the age of 65 reported that they had been diagnosed by a doctor as suffering from at least one chronic disease, and there were also many people who suffered from more than three chronic diseases at the same time. Chronic disease care often involves multiple medications, dietary adjustments, and follow-up arrangements in different departments. The more complex the information, the more important it is to communicate between doctors and patients.
In response to the theme of this year's (2026) Patient Safety Week, "Doctors and patients work together to protect safety", Cathay General Hospital held a series of activities. Through interactive games in the hospital lobby, the public was invited to understand the importance of participating in medical safety from their daily medical experience, attracting nearly a hundred people and hospital colleagues to participate.
The event also went to outpatient clinics and health education sites related to diabetes, chronic kidney disease, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Through simple questions, we learned about patients’ experiences in participating in Shared Decision Making (SDM). Patients were encouraged to express their questions and ideas when faced with treatment options, and discuss appropriate care methods with the medical team.
In addition to in-hospital publicity, Cathay Hospital also goes to the community to help the public understand their blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipid status in combination with the three-high screening test, and reminds them of medication safety through daily life situations. People who are taking anticoagulant drugs should not take ginkgo, ginseng or other health foods by themselves. They should proactively inform their doctors or pharmacists about the drugs and health products they are currently using. If they have any questions, they should ask the pharmacist directly to reduce interactions and related risks.
Jian Zhicheng emphasized that he hopes that patient safety is not just a campaign slogan, but can be implemented in every medical and health care process. Through the joint participation of patients, family members and medical teams, doctors and patients can have more communication and medical treatment with more peace of mind.
