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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – In the US, figures show that hundreds of thousands of people a year are injured due to mistakes in prescribing, dispensing or administering medications. When we or someone we love is ill, it’s a vulnerable time. The last thing you need when you’re ill is to be taking the wrong medicine.
Being an active participant in your medical care is a concrete step you can take to reduce the risk of medication errors. Being an engaged patient means:
● Making sure your doctor has the full picture of your healthcare and any treatments
● Keeping yourself informed about your condition and the medications you’re taking.
● Keeping notes on all doctors consultations
● Keeping an up-to-date list of all your medications
● Doing the research to understand your condition
● Following up on tests proactively
Modern technology is your friend when it comes to taking a proactive approach to your own care. We already use our smartphones and other digital devices to help manage our daily lives – let your digital device be a robust medical accessory too. Apps can help you set up pill reminders, research medical information and manage your medical records, to name but a few things! Anything you do to get engaged will reduce the likelihood of medication errors.
Always remember that apps should support consultation with your doctor, not replace it. Patient Claim Line, a specialized team on medical errors, recommended that “since there’s no doctor-patient relationship between the app developer and the patients, they should always their doctor if they are using a health app, and check the accuracy of the information it provides.
The whole point is to make the patient much better informed and to ask the doctor much better questions, so together they can do a much better job avoiding medical negligence mistakes.”
Here are some apps that will help you to be a more engaged patient:
Medscape: A drug reference app
Understanding your medications is part of being a proactive patient. Medscape is a drug reference app that helps you do this. Medscape allows you to check what your prescribed medication is for, lists the adverse effects of drugs as well as what the drug does.
CareZone: A medical history app and medication manager
Managing your medication can be a confusing chore. The CareZone medical app and medication manager reduces the chance of medication errors by helping you remember when to take your medicines and reminding you of the dosage and schedule. CareZone keeps your medical records in one place in your phone library, making it easy to give the doctor the full picture at your appointment time.
WebMD: A medical reference app
WebMD helps you research your condition, check your symptoms with a simple symptom checker, access drug and treatment information, get first aid essentials, and even check your local health listings. Using this kind of app helps patients know if the doctor’s diagnosis is pointing to the right direction. They reduce the likelihood of medication errors due to misdiagnosis.
Using apps could help you stay healthier
Research shows that engaged patients get better health outcomes. Not only will you reduce the chance of medication errors in prescribing, you’ll diminish the likelihood of make a dosage mistake or taking a medication that isn’t working for you.
It’s important to research and be an active participant in your care team, but also remember that you don’t have to have all the answers. Your doctor or medical specialist is the team lead. A doctor you trust should be:
● Listening to you actively
● Treating you with respect
● Answering all your questions
● Checking back to make sure you understand
● Protecting you from unnecessary fear
● Helping you cope with your condition
If you find yourself spending too long using mobile apps, it might be a sign that you don’t fully trust your doctor to give you support, education and guidance. “Then it is not time look at more websites, perhaps you need to look at a different doctor.”
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