Contact: Paul Meznarich
715-838-5805
Dr. Terry Borman
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Luther Midelfort is recognizing National Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 7 to 13. This is an education and awareness-building campaign by the National Patient Safety Foundation to improve patient safety at the local level.
At Luther Midelfort and all its regional sites, “Partners In Safety” brochures are available encouraging patients to have open conversations with their healthcare providers. In it’s eighth year, the 2010 National Patient Safety Awareness Week theme is “Let’s Talk! Healthy Conversations for Safer Healthcare.”
Dr. Terry Borman, Luther Midelfort medical director, recommends the following steps for patients to help their doctors and nurses get a correct diagnosis:
- Tell your story. Be clear, complete and accurate.
- Be a good historian. Remember past treatments, how the illness has progressed over time and whether family history might put you at risk for certain illnesses.
- Be a good record keeper. Know your medical record, test results and medications. Bring your medication list with you when you see your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
- Be an informed consumer. Research your illness online (www.mayoclinic.com), learn about the tests or procedures you’re having done, and know any side effects of your medication(s).
- Make sure it’s the right diagnosis. Sometimes the “most likely” diagnoses isn’t the right diagnosis. Don’t be afraid to ask “What else could this be?” or to encourage your healthcare provider to think of other possible reasons for your illness.
Look for “Partners In Safety” brochures in brochure racks throughout the hospitals and clinics of Luther Midelfort, Luther Midelfort Chippewa Valley, Luther Midelfort Northland and Luther Midelfort Oakridge.
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In partnership with Mayo Clinic, Luther Midelfort offers a full range of quality medical services, including cardiac and orthopedic surgery, cancer and trauma care programs. Through a network of community-based healthcare providers in west-central Wisconsin, Luther Midelfort provides access to experts close to home.
