Patient education, engagement, and empowerment have been at the core of many organizations' efforts to make healthcare safer. To measure and focus such efforts, the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority developed a patient poll about basic safety practices, such as asking about healthcare worker handwashing. The poll was administered in 2006, 2013, and, most recently, February through April 2018. Results from 2018 remain consistent with the previous two iterations: high reported likelihood to ask questions to gain understanding and low reported likelihood to question potential safety breaches. In 2018, 96% of patients reported positive inclination towards asking for a fuller explanation, and just 33% reported positive inclination towards asking a healthcare worker if they washed their hands. This gap represents an opportunity for future safety work in Pennsylvania and beyond.
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