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Newscast: Lead Story - Uninsured with Asthma -
Data Shows Many Less Likely To Take Daily Meds
(opening music)
Rand: This is Healthcare 411 for the week of July 1, 2009.
Debra: Healthcare 411 is produced by AHRQ, the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Debra: I’m Debra James.
Rand: And I’m Rand Gardner.
Debra: This week on Healthcare 411:
Rand: New data shows uninsured Americans with asthma are less likely to
take daily preventive medicine to control their asthma symptoms.
Debra: And in research news, how one health care team is using new
integrated electronic medical records to provide better care to their patients,
including those with chronic health care issues.
Rand: And tips for consumers for Navigating the Health Care System. This
week we’ll explore community-based patient safety advisory councils. How you can
partner with your health team to make your care safer. All this coming up on
Healthcare 411.
[Begin PSA: Exercise for Health]
Narrator: Here’s another health tip from AHRQ. One of the simplest things
you can do to stay healthy at any age is to commit to regular exercise. Nearly
two thirds of Americans are not at a healthy weight. The Surgeon General
recommends that all adults get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Learn more
about what you can do to stay healthy online at
healthcare411.org. A
message from AHRQ, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
[End PSA]
Rand: Now the numbers.
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Rand: Uninsured Americans who have asthma are less likely to take daily
preventive medicine. That’s according to the latest AHRQ data that shows about
6.7 million Americans with asthma take daily medicine to prevent asthma attacks.
In comparison, those under 65 without insurance are only about half as likely to
take the drugs they need to control their asthma symptoms. Asthma is a chronic
disease that can inflame and narrow the lung’s airways, causing recurring
periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. In
2006, about 21 million Americans had asthma and experienced an attack within the
last 12 months.
Debra: Is your patient allergic to anything? Do they have any
pre-existing conditions? Did they have any recent surgeries? These are critical
questions that clinicians in emergency departments face every day, all too often
without the benefit of a patient’s medical record or full medical history.
That’s why the Mount Ascutney Healthcare Consortium in Vermont says integrated
electronic medical records - ones that store and share patient information among
groups of authorized providers - can improve health care delivery and save
lives. Here to talk to us about the technology is Mr. Glenn Thornton of the
Mount Ascutney Healthcare Consortium. Welcome, Mr. Thornton.
Mr. Thornton: Thank you.
Debra: The consortium had already been using electronic medical records
but saw the need to develop an integrated system. Tell us why.
Mr. Thornton: The problem with our old system was that doctors spent too
much time looking for information on their patients. Information on a single
patient was spread out, as there was no single location where a doctor could
just pull up all the information he or she needed on a patient. For example, a
doctor might have to call a lab to get test results, or they might have to
search for a paper chart. The new system solves that problem.
Debra: How does the new system work?
Mr. Thornton: The doctor logs into a Web site, which was designed by
Orion Health and our organization, performs a patient search, selects a patient,
which then pulls the patient’s chart instantly. The electronic chart includes
lab test results, a detailed medical history, and, in some cases, digitized
radiology images. The new electronic system saves time and gives the doctor more
complete information, and in some cases, that could mean the difference between
life and death.
Debra: Can you give us an example?
Mr. Thornton: Well say a patient comes into the emergency room
complaining of a chest pain. Under the old system, the emergency room doctor
might not see the results of an electrocardiogram performed the week before. But
using the new integrated system, the doctor can see the test results because the
EKG was scanned into a central repository, and start appropriate treatment right
away.
Debra: Does the system also help clinicians provide better care for
patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes or asthma?
Mr. Thornton: Well let’s use a diabetic patient as an example. The
updated system contains all of the patient lab results, which allows the
provider to run a trend analysis graph for any given time period on any one or
more of the discrete data elements, such as Glucose and HbA1C’s, and allows them
to print out a graph to share with the patient, and in this way, the updated
system makes it easier for doctors to track the progress of a person with
chronic conditions.
Debra: Mr. Thornton, thank you for joining us today to talk about the
integrated medical records system.
Mr. Thornton: My pleasure.
Debra: For more information about this project and others, visit
healthit.ahrq.gov. Up
next, health care advice for navigating the health care system.
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Rand: More and more, patients are becoming some of the strongest and most
articulate advocates for patient safety improvements. And hospitals and other
health care organizations are inviting them to be a part of the team in
community-based patient safety advisory councils. Now here to talk with us about
these groups and what they do is AHRQ Director Dr. Carolyn Clancy. Welcome, Dr.
Clancy.
Dr. Clancy: Thank you.
Rand: So what is a community-based patient safety advisory council?
Dr. Clancy: A community-based patient safety advisory council is a group
of patients and clinicians who come together as a team to identify ways to
improve patient safety in organizations. As a team, the council sets goals based
on the needs of their community. For example, patients have a chance to
participate in meetings in which hospital policies are set.
Rand: Do you need to have a negative experience, like a medial error, to
participate with a patient safety advisory council?
Dr. Clancy: No. People who have experienced major or life-changing events
are often very vocal and very driven to participate in these types of groups
because they want to speak out and be heard, and that’s great. But other
patients with different experience should participate, too, because a diverse
group is important. These types of councils do best when there are members who
are willing to share their experiences - both good and bad.
Rand: So who benefits from these advisory councils?
Dr. Clancy: On this team, everyone benefits. Patients learn effective
ways to reduce their health care risks. For example, they learn how in some
cases they can avoid a medication error by asking questions if something doesn’t
seem right. It’s important to note that patients really appreciate being part of
the process, discussions, and decision-making. Also, they provide some really
valuable input to the council and that, in turn, benefits the hospital and its
clinicians. When they better understand the patient’s perspective, they can
provide higher-quality care.
Rand: And what is AHRQ’s role in this area?
Dr. Clancy: AHRQ funded a guide that teaches health care organizations
how to create community-based patient safety advisory councils. Aurora Health
Care worked with several clinics in Wisconsin on the project, and also partnered
with a consumer group called Consumers Advancing Patient Safety, as well as
Midwest Airlines. The guide is a really a toolkit for hospital officials to use,
because it provides templates, checklists and resources describing how to create
and sustain a community-based patient advisory council.
Rand: Dr. Carolyn Clancy, thank you so much for joining us to talk about
how patients can get involved in making health care safer.
Dr. Clancy: My pleasure. These are really important teams, and I hope
that consumers listening will consider committing some of their time and energy
to one of these teams at their nearby hospital. And if they don’t have a patient
advisory council, then be sure to speak up. As a consumer, you get what you’re
looking for in your health care by taking an active role. I strongly encourage
consumers to go to their clinicians and say, "I want to be an active partner on
my health care team. How can we work together to make this happen?"
Rand: To access the Guide for Developing a Community-Based Patient Safety
Advisory Council online, visit
ahrq.gov/qual/advisorycouncil.
(music)
Debra: That’s it for this week. For more information on these and other
health-related stories and topics, go to
healthcare411.ahrq.gov.
Rand: Healthcare 411 is produced by AHRQ, the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
For Debra James, I’m Rand Gardner. Please join us for the next edition of
Healthcare 411.
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