AHRQ Releases Tool to Help Consumers Reduce Medication Errors

From the press release

Three out of four Americans are not following their doctor’s advice when it comes to taking prescription medication, according to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin.  AHRQ and the National Council on Patient Information and Education have released a revised guide to help patients learn more about how to take medicines safely.  “Your Medicines: Be Smart. Be Safe” is a booklet that includes a detachable, wallet-sized card that can be personalized to help patients keep track of all medicines they are taking, including vitamins and herbal and other dietary supplements.  Available in English and Spanish, the guide includes questions that patients can ask their doctors about their medications.  Select to access a copy of the guide.  Print copies are available by sending an e-mail to ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov.

HHS Releases New Online Patient Safety Training Resources for Clinicians and Patient Advocates

Partnering to Heal is a computer-based, interactive learning tool for clinicians, health professional students, and patient advocates.

The training highlights effective communication about infection control practices and what it means to help create a “culture of safety” in healthcare institutions.

From the press release

The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health released Partnering to Heal: Teaming Up Against Healthcare-Associated Infections, an interactive learning tool for clinicians, health professional students, and family caregivers.  The training videos include information on basic protocols for universal precautions and isolation precautions to protect patient, visitors, and practitioners from the most common disease transmissions.  The training promotes six key behaviors: teamwork, communication, hand washing, vaccination against the flu, appropriate use of antibiotics, and proper insertion, use, and removal of catheters and ventilators.  Learn how five characters can contribute to—or prevent—risk of several healthcare-associated infections, including surgical site infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, catheter-associated urinary tract infections,clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.  These resources support the new Partnership for Patients, a new national public-private partnership with hospitals, medical groups, consumer groups, and employers that will help save lives by preventing millions of injuries and complications in patient care over the next 3 years.  Select to read the HHS press release.

Related articles

• Partnering to Heal: Teaming Up Against Healthcare-Associated Infections (thielst.typepad.com)
• Patient Safety Resources (aa47.wordpress.com)
• CDC issues updated bloodstream infection prevention guidelines (physorg.com)