ISMP Website for Consumer Medication Safety

A recent email with the November issue of NurseAdvice-Err, an ISMP (Institute for Safe Mediation Practice) publication, had great information.  Many of the preventable hospital readmissions relate to health literacy and medication errors caused by patients who don't understand enough about what, how, and when to take medications.  Of course, it is more complicated than that.  The health literacy issue also relates to drug and food interactions.

The ISMP has developed a website, ConsumerMedSafety, at http://www.consumermedsafety.org/ to assist consumers to stay safe when taking medications.

There is consumer information on eleven high-alert medications at http://www.consumermedsafety.org/tools-and-resources/medication-safety-tools-and-resources

The medications are:

High-Alert Medications

• Warfarin (Coumadin)
• Lovenox (enoxaparin)
• Methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexal)
• Fentanyl Patch (Duragesic)
• Hydrocodone with Acetaminophen (Vicoden, Lorcet)

• Oxycodone with Acetaminophen (Percocet, Roxicet)
• Apidra (insulin glulisine)
• Humalog (insulin lispro)
• Lantus (insulin glargine)
• Levemir (insulin detemir)
• NovoLog (insulin aspart)

Use of Mobile Apps for Health Information on the Increase

In the Informatics and Nursing textbook, we have mentioned PEW reports on the use of technology several times.  A new 2012 report provides insight on the use of mobile apps for health information.  You can review the summary of the report or download the entire report at http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Mobile-Health.aspx

In brief - 3,014 English and Spanish speaking people in the United States participated in the study. Interviews were conducted using cell phones and land line phones. Of the participants, 85% owned a cell phone and 53% of the cell phones were smart phones.  Health information was accessed by 53% of smartphone owners and 5% of non-smartphone owners. 

Those statistics are amazing!  It means that cell phones are empowering healthcare consumers.  The challenge that remains is to assist healthcare consumers to scrutinize the validity of websites that they are accessing.