Podcast #8

This is edition #8 of Aurora Health Care's “Your Health,” offering health information and suggestions to keep you and your loved ones healthy. I'm Neal Linkon, and we'd sure love to hear from you. If you have questions, comments, ways we can help or ideas for future editions, please let us know at internet@aurora.org.

Us boomers are probably more active than our parents were at this age, and kids and adults of all ages are doing more running, playing sports and working in the yard. So when the inevitable aches and pains come up, or more serious injuries, to whom do you turn? Your first step should probably be your primary care provider, but there are doctors out there who specialize in sports medicine, and they can not only help with injuries and pain, but they can help make you a better athlete.  I spoke for a few minutes with Dr. Jon Englund, a sports medicine specialist…

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To learn more about how sports medicine might help you or somebody you know, go to www.Aurora.org/sports.

Few things in health care, or anything else, for that matter, are more confusing than your bill.  Between the variety of bills you get and statements from your insurance company, it can be a real mess. Rest assured that we understand the issue and are working on it. As the proverbial saying goes, if it was easy, we'd have done it already.

That said, there are places you can go for help in the meantime. Your best source if you are an Aurora patient, is to go to www.Aurora.org/billing. There you will find frequently sought information, including how to set up a payment plan, checking to see if insurance has already paid, getting copies of your bill or help understanding the bill, or even if you don't have insurance or just think you'll have trouble paying your bill. Like a lot of businesses, your doctor or hospital will usually be happy to work with you. And at Aurora, we offer a program for those who don't have insurance or don't have enough insurance. It's called Helping Hand and you can learn more about it by going to www.Aurora.org/HelpingHand.

On our site, you'll also find general information on things like getting pre-authorizations, filing claims with your insurance carrier and a lot more. And just as importantly, there are places where you can call or email your question to our customer service folks.  They are the experts and are always happy to help.

Our philosophy of care is called Care management.  In each edition of Your Health, we'll look at a Care Management initiative to give you a better idea of what this is all about. Most importantly, these segments will have meaningful and useful information to help you and your loved ones.

You wouldn't think we'd need an initiative on medication safety, but did you know that medication errors occur with about 5% of all handwritten prescriptions. It's a lot less with electronic prescriptions, but even then, if you take medicines the wrong way, they can make you feel worse, or harm you. So here are some suggestions to keep yourself safe when taking medication of any kind.

Here are things to be sure you do:

• Bring your medicines or a list of your medicines each time you see your health care provider, including over-the-counter meds, vitamins and supplements.
• Read your prescription, and read the label carefully
• Always take your medicine exactly as prescribed
• Ask for help in making a schedule so you know what medicine to take at what time of day
• If you can, use one pharmacy for all your prescriptions. The pharmacist can help you keep track of what you're taking and will be alerted if there are any conflicts between medications
• Make sure your family or someone else knows what medicine you take and when you take it
• Know these things about each medicine you take, whether prescribed or bought “over the counter”
  • Name (generic and brand name)
  • Reason for taking it
  • What it looks like (color, shape)
  • How much to take and how often
  • How long you should take it
  • Possible side effects and what to do if you have them
  • Does it work against other medicines or nutritional supplements you take?
  • Are there foods you should avoid while taking this medicine?
  • Are there any special instructions, such as whether you should take the medication at bedtime or with meals
  • What to do if you miss a dose

Here's what NOT to do with medications:

• Don't combine prescription and over-the-counter medicines or nutrition supplements unless your health care provider says it's okay
• Don't stop taking a medicine without first talking with your health care provider
• Don't change how much or how often you take it without first talking with your health care provider
• Don't take someone else's medicine

Most importantly, ask questions! Talk with your health care provider, pharmacist or nurse if you have any questions or concerns about your medicines.

If you become a patient in one of our hospitals, here are the steps we'll take to ensure that you receive the right medicine, in the right amount, at the right time.

• Your doctor will select the medicine and dose that's best for you
• Each order is checked and double-checked by pharmacists and nurses
• Computer records are kept
• The pharmacist prepares and labels the medicine
• Your nurse will bring the medicine to you, explain it, and answer your questions
• You will be watched closely to make sure the medicine is working and that you do not have serious side effects

You and your family are members of the health care team. Here are some things you can do to ensure safe medicine use if you have to go to the hospital:

• Bring a list of your medicines, or bring the medicines in their containers, to the hospital
• Make sure you know the things about each medicine you take that we just mentioned
• ASK QUESTIONS about any medication given to you in the hospital if:
  • The medicine is new
  • The medicine looks different to you
  • The timing seems different or wrong to you
  • You think you may be having side effects from the medicine

There may be simple answers to your concerns, but never be afraid to bring them up. This makes you a partner in your care. As a team, we'll work together to ensure a safe hospital stay for you. For more information, go to www.Aurora.org/meds.

That's a wrap on this edition of Your Health. I'm Neal Linkon, and we'd really like to hear from you on how we can help you better navigate the world of health. Drop us a line at internet@aurora.org, and thanks for listening.

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Your Health, Edition 8 (11:24)

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