Personal Health Records

To keep track of all of your health information, make your own personal health record.

What should be included? Start here:

• Your name, date of birth, emergency contact information, and blood type
• Major illnesses and surgeries, with dates
• Date of last physical exam
• Dates and results of of tests and screenings
• All allergies
• Any chronic diseases
• Any history of illnesses in your family
• A list of your medications, with dosages and how long you've been taking them for

Drug Shortages

As the United States continues to face drug shortages, patient care and safety is put at risk.

Some of the most needed drugs are anesthesia medications, which are needed before, during, and sometimes after surgery.

According to the article, "In 2010, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) listed 140 medications in short supply. Even more alarming, shortages are also reported for alternative drugs in several categories."

To read the full article, click here.

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Snyder and Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005


Photo: Flickr, Army Medicine

Perinatal Safety Initiative

According to a report made by the Journal for Healthcare Quality, a perinatal safety initiative (PSI) may be able to reduce the risk for adverse obstetric outcomes. With this, patient safety would increase, giving staff and patients a better experience.

From 2007-2009, Brian Wagner, M.D., from the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in Great Neck, N.Y., and colleagues looked at whether implementation of a multistep, multicomponent PSI would decrease adverse outcomes. The initiatives the group took included: team training stressing communication, a program simulating high-risk obstetrical emergencies, evidence-based protocols, standardizing electronic fetal monitoring with requisite documentation of competence, and distribution of an integrated educational program among all health care providers.  

After examinations, it was found that the Adverse Outcome Index decreased from 2.0 to 0.8 percent within the first year. During the two year period, the number sustained. With this, birth trauma and rates of return to the operating room also decreased over time. Staff perceptions of safety, when it came to perinatal, dramatically improved as well.

At Snyder & Wenner we strive to keep the community safe when hospital care is involved. We have become patient safety advocates by representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone who has been seriously harmed from a hospital error please feel free to contact us. The Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking the "Patient Safety Advocates" tab above.

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Speak Up

Your health and safety is important. While at the doctor's office, remember to ask questions to clarify confusion. To help prevent hospital errors, patients should remember these tips:

• Medications: always know what medications you're taking and why.
• Become educated on your diagnosis and treatment; you will most likely feel more confident about what is currently happening.
• Trusted friends or family members can serve as your advocate, making sure you are getting the correct care.
• Pay attention to the care and medication you are receiving, and that it is what your doctor talked with you about.
• If you don't understand anything that is happening or have questions, remember to speak up and talk with your health care team.

Pre-Procedure Evaluation Template

A downloadable, pre-procedure evaluation template for procedures that require moderate sedation has been made available for free by the VA National Center for Patient Safety.

The form includes areas on a patient's vital signs, past medical history, physical exam, and lab testing/consultations.

Click here to download it now!

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Snyder and Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Patient Safety: Top Priority

For any health care official, patient safety should be one of their top priorities. However, it seems that patient safety remains a work-in-progess.

Here's a list of the most common patient safety risks:

•    Retained surgical items (or RSIs)
•    Surgical site infections
•    Wrong-site surgeries
•    Improper patient positioning and lifting
•    Chemical and radiological hazards
•    Improper medication labeling and administration
•    Operative and post-operative complications

It's also come to light that good communication needs to be present between officials in the operation room. Without that, as well as not following procedures and policies, patient safety is put in danger. I would venture to say that more people are harmed in hospitals because of inadequate or deficient communication than from any other cause.

For information regarding this article and patient safety, click here.

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At Snyder & Wenner we strive to keep the community safe when hospital care is involved. We have become patient safety advocates by representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone who has been seriously harmed from a hospital error please feel free to contact us. The Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking the "Patient Safety Advocates" tab above.

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

More Hospital Procedures = Better Patient Safety

A recent study in the journal Health Services Research found that hospitals with larger volumes of procedures have better patient safety.  

If you're scheduled for weight loss surgery or heart bypass surgery, you may want to check out how many procedures your hospital does on a yearly basis.

In the study, it was found that hospitals that have higher surgical procedures are less likely to cause unintentional injuries to patients compared to hospitals that perform them less frequently.
To find out how many procedures a hospital has done, consumers can consult with The Leapfrog Group, which is a national advocate of patient safety.

Source: Health Behavior News Service, part of the Center for Advancing Health

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At Snyder & Wenner we strive to keep the community safe when hospital care is involved. We have become patient safety advocates by representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone who has been seriously harmed from a hospital error please feel free to contact us. The Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking the "Patient Safety Advocates" tab above.

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Preventing Military Suicides

Just last year, our country lost 295 active duty service members to suicide.

With military services counting and examining them, we have the information on who died during or after deployment. And we also know the means as to how the service members took their own lives and if they were experiencing a crisis in their life.

So, how can we prevent them?

On The New York Times website, debates are posted regarding different areas that affect service members. These include:

What We Know, and Don't
The Best Medicine Just Might Be a Job
Challenges for Service Women
Mounting Tolls of a 10-Year War
The Importances of Military Families

And if you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Breast Cancer Drug Revoked by FDA

Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, commissioner for the FDA, has revoked the approval of the drug Avastin as a treatment for breast cancer.  

Hamburg said that the drug does not meaningfully reducing the size of tumors, nor help the patients live longer. The drug was also exposing patients to serious side effects, such as hemorrhaging and severe high blood pressure.  

As of right now, Avastin will remain on the market as treatment for other cancers. However, insurers might not continue paying for the drug which would put it out of reach for post patients, as it costs around $88,000 a year.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Stealing Patient’s Identities

Did you know that medical identity theft is the fasting-growing form of identity theft?

Just last year, 1.42 million Americans were victims at a cost of $28 billion, according to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The second most common privacy or security issue reported by healthcare providers is patients wanting medical services under someone else’s name.

The nationwide survey consisted of 600 executives from doctors’ organizations, U.S. hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, health insurance companies, and life sciences companies.

The most commonly reported breach of privacy for patients is the improper use of patient data by a person who works for a doctor’s office, insurance company, hospital, or life sciences organization. These breaches included employees leaving private information out in plain sight, talking in a public area about a person’s health information, or even making comments on social media sites.

Most breaches were not the result of hackers, but of simple human error.

As a patient, you need to make sure your information is kept confidential. Inform your healthcare and insurance providers that you have a zero tolerance for compromised files.

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At Snyder & Wenner we strive to keep the community safe when hospital care is involved. We have become patient safety advocates by representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone who has been seriously harmed from a hospital error please feel free to contact us. The Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking the "Patient Safety Advocates" tab above.

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Patient Safety Video

According to the video below, "We should be able to trust the hospital we choose to provide us with quality care when the time arrives."

Watch the video below on Patient Safety, and hear about one couple's experience in dealing with a hospital when their son had a medical emergency.

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At Snyder & Wenner we strive to keep the community safe when hospital care is involved. We have become patient safety advocates by representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone who has been seriously harmed from a hospital error please feel free to contact us. The Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking the "Patient Safety Advocates" tab above.

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

AFSP: International Survivors of Suicide Day

AFSP: International Survivors of Suicide Day

Every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving is International Suicide Survivor Awareness Day. This global effort reaches out to hundreds of thousands of people who've lost a loved one to suicide. This Saturday, November 19, 2011, is their 13th year of raising awareness and providing support.

Over 230 simultaneous conferences for survivors of suicide loss will take place throughout the U.S. and across the world. An amazing network of healing conferences is available for those who have survived the tragedy of suicide loss.

Connecting on this day allows survivors to know that they are not alone in this experience. And perhaps more important than anything else, research has shown that survivors of suicide contribute significantly in better understanding suicide and its prevention. There is great power in the personal narrative.



And if you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK

Swiss Cheese Model

Between 44,000 and 98,000 people die each year in U.S. hospitals because of medical errors.

According to an article by Johns Hopkins Nursing, there is usually a string of errors in a number of different systems.

They call it the "Swiss Cheese Model."

"For example, the intern writes an order that is incomplete; the pharmacy fills it in error; and the nurse administers the wrong drug or dose to the patient. There was a hole in each of three systems—ordering, dispensing, and administering. When the holes line up, the original error travels through the systems and reaches the patient."

Nurses are now taking on a new role as patient safety officers in hopes to bring recognition and leadership to the evolving safety programs in hospitals. Afterall, nurses are the "primary sentinels" of patient care, "providing the first warning and rapid intervention for those too sick to help themselves."

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At Snyder & Wenner we strive to keep the community safe when hospital care is involved. We have become patient safety advocates by representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone who has been seriously harmed from a hospital error please feel free to contact us. The Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking the "Patient Safety Advocates" tab above.

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Protect Yourself from Diseases

Cold and flu season is among us. Do you wash your hands correctly? You can protect yourself from catching and spreading infectious diseases if you know the correct way!

Go to the World Health Organization website to look at posters and banners that promote patient safety.

How to Have a Safe Hospital Experience

Click here to watch a video on life-saving tips for a hospital stay.  

At Snyder & Wenner we strive to keep the community safe when hospital care is involved. We have become patient safety advocates by representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone who has been seriously harmed from a hospital error please feel free to contact us. The Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking the "Patient Safety Advocates" tab above.  

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Iatrogenic Disease

Did you know that Iatrogenic Disease is the third most fatal disease in the United States?

Iatrogenic disease is defined as a disease caused completely by medical treatment.

It turns out that about 100,000 people are killed each year from this, while another 2 million are maimed and disabled, all from hospital errors.
Click here to read more statistics.

At Snyder & Wenner we strive to keep the community safe when hospital care is involved. We have become patient safety advocates by representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone who has been seriously harmed from a hospital error please feel free to contact us. The Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking the "Patient Safety Advocates" tab above.

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Greed and Drugs

According to a recent survey by the American Hospital Association, 99.5 percent of nation hospitals have experienced one or more drug shortages in the last six months. We’re going through a huge drug shortage problem, and everything is in short supply and high demand.

Greed is now starting to creep its way into hospitals. Gray market suppliers, who get their products mysteriously, are marking up drugs by 650 percent, according to a survey done by Premier.

The report by Premier states this: "The gray market, also known as a parallel market, is a supply channel that is unofficial, unauthorized or unintended by the original manufacturer. In markets where the products are scarce or in short supply, gray markets may evolve to sell the item at any price the market will bear. In other circumstances, when commodities are already being sold at high margins, a gray market may develop to compete with the innovator's product, but at a lower price.”

Premier is urging hospitals nationwide to not buy any products from the gray market vendors.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Are the Patients Pleased?

Surveys are being given out to patients after being discharged from the hospital.

In the next fews months, Medicare will start looking at the patient satisfaction surveys and take them into account when reimbursing hospitals.

The hospitals with the best scores will get more money, making some health care officials change their attitude and the way they take care of their patients differently.

Questions being asked include: Did the doctors and nurses communicate well? Was pain well controlled? Was the room clean and the hospital quiet at night?

To read the whole artice on The New York Times website, click here.

At Snyder & Wenner we strive to keep the community safe when hospital care is involved. We have become patient safety advocates by representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone who has been seriously harmed from a hospital error please feel free to contact us. The Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking the "Patient Safety Advocates" tab above.

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

National Patient Safety Foundation

Since its founding in 1997, the National Patient Safety Foundation has been on a mission to improve the safety of care provided to patients. NPSF educates the general public on how exactly to stay safe when it comes to dealing with health care.

To ensure a safer experience with health care systems, patients should keep these tips in mind:

·         Be involved and stay informed about treatments

·         Ask questions and follow through on treatments and instructions

·         There should be constant communication between patients, caregivers and organizations. You should be working as a team.

·         Keep track of your medical history

·         Have a family member or friend become involved in your care; they can help you understand care instructions.

·         Follow all treatment plans as described by a doctor. 

Be sure to visit the NPSF website and see what they’re all about.

At Snyder & Wenner we strive to keep the community safe when hospital care is involved. We have become patient safety advocates by representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone who has been seriously harmed from a hospital error please feel free to contact us. The Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking the "Patient Safety Advocates" tab above.

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Tips for Using Medicines Safely

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the FDA want to make sure patients are being safe when it comes to taking medication. 

To make sure you are using medicines safely, follow these tips:

·         Bring all of your medications or a list with you when you visit your doctor’s office, the hospital, or the pharmacy.

·         Always ask questions about your medications.

·         Make sure your medicine is what your doctor prescribed.

·         Make sure to ask how the medicines should be taken correctly.

·         Ask if there are any possible side effects.  

Your health is important. Becoming knowledgeable about your medicines could save your life! 

For a printable “Check Your Medicines: Tips for Using Medicines Safely” poster, click here.

At Snyder & Wenner we strive to keep the community safe when hospital care is involved. We have become patient safety advocates by representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone who has been seriously harmed from a hospital error please feel free to contact us. The Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking the "Patient Safety Advocates" tab above.

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005


Photo: e-MagineArt.com, Flickr

A New Dimension to Patient Safety

In the words of Mary Brennan-Taylor, health care officials “need to work together as a team, remembering that the captain of the team is the patient.”

Below, she shares her story on how she lost her mother to a series of preventable medical mistakes. While telling her story of loss, she hopes to educate others on the importance of patient safety. 

At Snyder & Wenner we strive to keep this community safe when hospital care is involved. We have become patient safety advocates by representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone that has been seriously harmed from a hospital error please feel free to contact us. The Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking the "Patient Safety Advocates" tab above.

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Protecting Our Children

Child Safety and Common Medical Procedures

While children undergo common medical procedures dealing with sedation, their safety may be at risk.

It was found that 72% of the episodes of prolonged hypoxia were preceded by decreases in ETco2 (the level of carbon dioxide in the air exhaled from the body) as measured by capnography, according to a recent study published in Pediatric Emergency Care. This implies that using capnography would ultimately decrease the frequency of hypoxia, or the deprivation of adequate oxygen supply. Safety for children under sedation would increase.

A capnograph is a non-invasive device that measures the amount of carbon dioxide a person breathes out.

Dr. Melissa Langhan, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Emergency Medicine, has recognized the importance of monitoring children with capnography. Unfortunately, continuous capnography is not used on a regular basis outside of the operating room. Dr. Langhan believes that the use of this monitoring device would greatly enhance patient safety.

Children undergoing common procedures involving sedation have been studied and analyzed by Dr. Langhan and colleagues.

Click here to watch Dr. Langhan explain the use of capnography and how it can improve patient safety.

For case studies that demonstrate the importance of capnography by Dr. Langhan, click here.

From the Lab to The Courtroom - Association for Psychological Science

From the Lab to The Courtroom - Association for Psychological Science

Drug Manufacturers and your doctor

Your doctor is the go-to person when it comes to your health and well-being. They suggest the best medicine or procedure, and you rely on them to make the best recommendations.

But how do you know their knowledge about certain products isn’t being influenced by drug companies?

The makers of the drug, product or procedure may be paying your doctor to consult on marketing plans or to deliver promotional talks.

Currently, doctors don’t have to tell you whether or not they are being paid to promote certain products they are recommending to you.

After being pressured by Congress, however, several companies have started to reveal names of doctors they’ve paid for marketing purposes.

In 2013, every single drug and device company in the United States will have to reveal if they have ever paid a doctor for anything regarding marketing, even if it was just a dinner.

But since most companies will not release information regarding paying doctors until they absolutely have to in 2013, the only thing you, the patient, can do now is directly asking your doctor yourself.

Before you enter the exam room, know this: Doctors that have been paid to market certain products are usually recommending the most expensive ones.

Until the public will have access to information regarding doctors and their financial marketing, be cautious and ask questions. Ask your doctor if there is any type of generic brand you can use instead, or something over-the-counter.

Ask you doctor if he or she is getting any incentive from the manufacturer of the drug being recommended.

Why Mindfulness Meditation Makes Us Healthier - Association for Psychological Science

Why Mindfulness Meditation Makes Us Healthier - Association for Psychological Science

Melanoma: What we need to know

Melanoma Surveillance in the United States

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with partners from the state health departments and the cancer research community, have come together to support a series of important articles on “Melanoma Surveillance in the United States,” published by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

The series was designed to improve the health of Americans with what works and what more needs to be done to lessen the burden of melanoma in the United States.

Currently, melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer, with about 8,000 deaths a year.

Important findings state that death caused by melanoma accounted for $3.5 billion in lost productivity each year. Also, people that died from melanoma between 2000 and 2006 died 20 years prematurely in comparison to 17 years from other cancers.

Doctors believe that melanoma is caused from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation not only from the sun, but from tanning beds and lamps as well. Melanoma is then caused after cells begin to develop damaged DNA, where the cells can grow out of control and form a mass of cancerous cells.

Health officials highly advise people to stay away from tanning beds and lamps, where the UV lights are too close to the skin.

Like being outside during the day? Here are some ways to help protect yourself from the sun:

-Wear as much clothing as possible to protect your skin from UV rays.

-Slather on sunscreen as often as possible. Sunscreens can come in many forms, including lotions, creams, lip balms, and ointments. The higher the SPF on the package, the more protection for a longer amount of time you will get.

-Wear a hat. A hat with a 2-3 inch brim can help not only cover the top of your head and scalp, but your ears, forehead, nose, and eyes.

-Wear sunglasses that block UV rays. Check the label to make sure it says that it blocks 99-100% of UVA and UVB rays.

-Limit your sun exposure during midday. UV rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun is high in the sky.

-Remember, sun rays can reach you even on cloudy days, and even through windows.

People need the sun to obtain vitamin D for their bodies, but remember- a little bit goes a long way.

Hospital Errors

Medicare Report: Improve tracking of serious hospitals errors

Hospital errors are critical problem in America. The prestigious Academy of Science Institute of Medicine concluded over 98,000 people die every year from hospital errors. That makes hospital errors the 4th leading cause of death in this country. According to a report recently released by the agency’s inspector general, Medicare inspectors need to do a better job of not only informing rating agencies of the errors, but also tracking reports of serious mistakes in care in the nation’s hospitals.

In the report, Inspector General Daniel Levinson states how hundreds of serious errors are going unnoticed, all because the inspectors that are finding the problems aren’t telling the national agencies that accredit hospitals.

Levinson also stated that no one tracks the effectiveness of policy changes or how the hospitals are actually correcting their mistakes.

Also, about 15,000 Medicare patients have died each month because of the treatments they receive in a hospital, which the inspector general discovered last year. This most recent report focuses on the “immediate jeopardy complaints,” or the worst errors. These include surgeries being performed on the wrong patients, sexual assault, surgical fires, patient suicides, and medical instruments being left inside a patient after surgery.

State survey and certification agencies are supposed to check complaints and report them to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). When this is done, it should lead to a review to determine whether or not the hospital has fixed the problem and if it will still be able to work with Medicare.

However, the report shows that out of 88 sampled immediate jeopardy complaints, CMS regional offices were notified of only 28.

This means hospitals aren’t being informed of what they should fix. In some cases, state agencies didn’t bother telling the hospitals of the nature of the mistakes, because they wanted to keep the complainant’s identity protected.

Levinson has recommended the following steps:

•CMS should evaluate compliance with quality-assurance measurements.

•State agencies should monitor hospitals' improvements.

•CMS should make it clear that state agencies tell hospitals what mistakes they've made.

•CMS should notify accreditors when hospitals make mistakes.

Medicare Administrator Don Berwick also agrees with Levinson’s recommendations, and said that several improvements have already been made.

At Snyder & Wenner we want to help this community be safe when hospital care is needed. We have become patient safety advocates through what we have seen representing patients who have been harmed from hospital error. If you know someone that has been harmed seriously from a hospital error please feel to contact us. Snyder & Wenner website can be accessed by clicking th Arizona Patient Safety Advocate Tab above.