Mission Health offers safety tips for National Patient Safety Awareness Week

From the press release:

Mission Health Recognizes Patient Safety Week with Medicine Safety Tips
Asheville, N.C. – March 5, 2012 – Today marks the beginning of National Patient Safety Awareness Week and Mission Health is participating with a campaign aimed at educating patients about medication safety and reducing medication errors.

“Patient engagement is a top priority in healthcare today and Patient Safety Awareness Week is one way Mission Health is actively engaging patients in their health,” said Janie Fielder, Medication Safety Nurse Specialist at Mission. “Patients who are knowledgeable about their condition and treatment tend to have better outcomes and fewer readmissions. Mission Health is committed to world class patient care and part of that care is our commitment to each patient’s safety. This week is a good time to strategically reach out to the community members and educate them on better health practices.”

Medication errors occur when a patient takes or receives the wrong medication or dosage. According to the Institute of Medicine’s July 2006 report, Preventing Medication Errors, medication errors harm an estimated 1.5 million Americans each year, resulting in more than $3.5 billion in unnecessary medical costs. In an effort to educate patients about the importance of medication safety, Mission Health recommends the following safety precautions.

Patient Safety Tips
• Take your medications only as prescribed and ask questions if you need help.
• Know what you take including over-the counter and prescribed medicines, herbal remedies, injections, creams, eye drops, etc.
• Know each medication’s purpose and side effects.
• Know when you should take each medication.
• Know how much of each medication you are supposed to take. It is important to know the specific amount (example 40mg instead of 1 tablet) since dosage amounts are different for each medicine.
• Keep a list of your medications and update it each time there are changes.
• Share your medication list with your doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers for every appointment or hospital visit.

To learn more about Patient Safety Awareness Week visit http://www.npsf.org/.

About Mission Health
Mission Health, based in Asheville, NC, is the state’s sixth largest health system and the tertiary care regional referral center for Western NC and the adjoining region. In 2012, Mission Health was named by Thomson Reuters as one of the top 15 health systems in the nation – the only health system in North Carolina to receive this recognition.

Founded in 1885, Mission Health is a not-for-profit, independent community hospital system that operates four hospitals, numerous out-patient and surgery centers, and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. Its medical staff consists of more than 750 physicians, and is certified in over 50 medical specialties and sub-specialties. Centers of excellence include heart, stroke care and neurosciences, and pediatrics. Mission Hospital, the system’s flagship hospital, is licensed for 730 beds and is the busiest surgical hospital in North Carolina. Other Mission hospitals include Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, McDowell Hospital in Marion, and Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville.
Approximately 8,800 employees and 700 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated to serving and improving the health and wellness of the people of Western North Carolina.