Patient Safety Day, July 25, 2004
The "National Organization for Healthcare Industry Accountability and Reform in
Medicine (1st Do N.O.H.A.R.M.) Is responsiblE for a much needed added vital sign.
98,000 patients die from medical errors every year. Don't be a statistic!
The National Organization for Healthcare Industry Accountability and Reform in Medicine-- initiates two new patient safety tools.
1. The Sixth Vital Sign: Patient/Family Immediate Medical Concerns
2. Patient Prescription Pad:
Presently, there are 5 recognized Vital Signs that are used to assess, treat and evaluate a patient's medical condition. The development of The Patient Prescription Pad is another tool that can, and will, benefit the patient's well being.
Vitals Signs: 1. Blood Pressure, 2. Pulse, 3. Respirations, 4. Temperature, 5. Pain..................AND
6. Patient/Family Immediate Medical Concerns
This tool (Patient Prescription Pad) can provide an avenue for patients to communicate with healthcare providers. This tool can make a change in the patient's medical status/condition and can impact their diagnosis, treatment and even survival of the patient.
One of the missions of the NOHARM organization is 1. Responsibility for ensuring patient safety by individual providers' and hospital organizations', and 2) full accountability for medical error harm which they have caused. Furthermore, the organization believes that ‘safety and medical mistakes begin in the doctors' offices, hospitals, and, academic institutions, not in the courtrooms
*People Making a Difference--one ripple at a time--speaking out, writing books, changing laws to promote safe, responsible and accountable medical care.
*Fred's Law (Maine): In Memory of Fred
*Lewis's Law (So Carolina): In Memory of Lewis
*Taylor's Law (Mass.): In Memory of Taylor
*Lisa's Law: In Memory of Mikey, Lisa & NY medical error victims
*FL. Three Stikes You're Out & Adverse Incidents Public Access amendments
*California Proposition 103
*Wall of Silence, authors Gibson & Sing
2004* PATIENT SAFETY DAY PARTICIPANTS & SUPPORTERS
Patient Safety Day is a national consumer grassroots effort aimed at improving the quality of patient safety throughout the healthcare spectrum. This day is dedicated to patients and families who lost their lives/loved ones or suffered severe injury from preventable medical errors. On Patient Safety Day consumers and business and professional groups throughout North America will be invited to observe the Memorial Moment of Silence and the Candlelight Vigil at 6pm in memory of those who have lost their lives or quality of life to medical errors. Everyone is encouraged to participate in this patient safety movement effort on Patient Safety Day, July 25, 2004 and invited to promote improvement(s) in patient safety measures, including the use of the "6th Vital Sign" and th "Patient Prescription Pad" in a national effort to make healthcare safer. Join in the National Memorial Moment of Silence and Candlelight Vigil at 6pm (wherever you are at that moment, light a candle of hope and remembrance at 6pm, and throughout the day wear a patient safety day button, talk with friends, employees or healthcare providers about medical errors and patient safety, share new technologies/tools or efforts (e.g., the "6th Vital Sign," the Patient Prescription Pad) being used to eliminate preventable medical errors and improve patient safety or create your own unique strategies to help create an enhanced consciousness of medical errors and patient safety on this day-and everyday). Every effort, every person, and every patient saved from the suffering of preventable medical errors, counts.
PATIENT SAFETY PLEDGE
"FIRST
DO NO HARM,
HEAL THE SICK,
DISCLOSE THE TRUTH"
(FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO OBTAIN 'PATIENT PRESCRIPTION PADS' CONTACT ; ADVOCATES4PTCARE@AOL.COM
OR PATTIOREGAN@NETSCAPE.NET
PLEASE JOIN US IN THIS MUCH NEEDED 6TH VITAL SIGN.
ROBERTA MIKLES ba rn director
bravenet.com