The TakeCHARGE Campaign: 5 Steps to Safer Health Care has been raising awareness about becoming a patient and planning ahead even before the pandemic hit. Where else can people learn to prepare to become patients? The 5 Steps to Safer Healthcare encourage people to be active and involved and help reduce the chance of a poor outcome.
- Understand & Complete Your Advance Directives.
- Keep a Record of Your Medical History & Current Medications
- Prepare for Doctor Visits / Make A List of Questions
- Prevent Infections / Ask Caregivers to Wash Their Hands
- Use an Advocate / Be an Advocate for Others
According to the Centers for Disease Control adults 65 years or older visit emergency departments due to adverse drug events almost 450,000 times each year, more than twice as often as younger persons.
Keeping accurate records of medications and medical history can help avoid these unplanned experiences.
Pulse Center for Patient Safety Education & Advocacy has been encouraging patients to be more responsible for their own safety for over 20 years.
Ilene Corina, President of Pulse CPSEA explains, “We need to help healthcare providers to do their job by doing our part with the 5 Steps”.
Rob Mehran, JD, of Mehran Law PLLC who was an early sponsor of TakeCHARGE, appreciates Step 5: “Use an advocate and be an advocate for others”. As a business attorney, he is happy to help anyone set up their advocacy business. “We need more patient advocates so everyone can have a support person at their side,” he explains.
To learn more or get involved visit www.TakeCHARGE.care or call (516) 579-4711 to book a virtual program and speaker for your community, employees or family.
https://www.cdc.gov/medicationsafety/adult_adversedrugevents.html
