Involve yourself in your personal health care to reduce chances of medical error

by Dr. Adam Seigers

The leading cause of death in America isn’t heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. It is the American Medical System.

As a result of medical error in this country, about one million people are harmed each year and 280,000 die as a result.

This is the equivalent of one jumbo jet crash with complete fatality per day; in post office terms – 384,000 lost pieces of mail per day, or in banking terms – 768,000 wrongly deposited checks per day.

While these numbers are staggering, they are really related to lapses in communication and a lack of quality primary care.

Quality primary care starts with a provider who knows the patient and who will monitor medications, follow up on testing, or answer questions that might have arisen during a recent hospitalization.

And with the division of primary and hospital medicine, this need has never been greater.But reducing medical error doesn’t just mean choosing the right doctor—it means involvement by the patient.

To help reduce medical error patients should keep a copy of their medications on hand and whenever possible should address medications by there generic name and dose. (There may be several little blue or purple pills.)

Patients should ask about potential side effects, or risks of medications or procedures.

As residents of the north country, many often travel outside of the area for specialty care.

Obtaining reports or laboratory testing can assure that tests aren’t missed or duplicated.

For more information please contact your primary care provider.

Dr. Adam Seigers is a physician with Faxton St. Luke’s Adirondack Community Physicians (ACP) Boonville Medical Offices on Rt. 12. 

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