Physician Resources

Web Resources

Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors
The Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors is a public-private partnership whose mission is to improve patient safety and eliminate medical errors in Massachusetts. It has multiple templates used for medication reconciliation, as well as sample policies and example process flow charts.
View the Massachusetts Coalition Resources

National Transitions of Care Coalition (NTOCC)
The National Transitions of Care Coalition (NTOCC) was formed to bring together thought leaders and health care providers from various care settings to address improving the quality of care coordination and communication when patients are transferred from one level of care to another. NTOCC has sample tools for physicians and health care providers, including checklists as well as a transitions of care slide set outlining the issues and effects of poor care transitions.
View the NTOCC Resources

American Geriatric Society
The American Geriatric Society has devoted a section of their website to public education. Although this portion of the site is geared towards providing information for the patient and the caregiver, there is a physician portal which provides access to patient handouts and downloadable pamphlets.
View the AGS Resources for Healthcare Providers

National Patient Safety Agency, Discharging Patients: Moving Beyond Neglect to Action
This featured story on the National Patient Safety Agency’s website (www.saferhealthcare.org.uk) from March 2006 discusses the need for improving care at the time of discharge.
View the national patient safety featured story

Answers.com- Surgical Encyclopedia
Answers.com-Health provides a search engine for information on medical terms and descriptions. The online Gale Surgical Encyclopedia by Thomas Gale provides information useful to physicians as well as patients and caregivers with access to surgical terms, how to prepare for surgery, what to expect post-op and risk involved.
View the answers.com-Surgical Encyclopedia

Medications

Anticoagulant Toolkit
Reducing Adverse Drug Events & Potential Adverse Drug Events with Unfractionated Heparin, Low Molecular Weight Heparins and Warfarin. This toolkit developed by Purdue University PharmaTAP in collaboration with the Indiana Patient Safety Center (IPSC), Indiana Hospital Association (IHA) and VHA Central. The toolkit is designed to help hospitals meet the joint commission national public safety goal to reduce patient harm associated with anticoagulant therapy.
View the Anticoagulant Toolkit

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)
The ISMP is an organization dedicated to medication error prevention and safe medication use. Resources available include a self assessment tool, resources to provide to patients, and downloadable tools.
View the ISMP Resources

Pathways for Medication Safety
A collaborative between the American Hospital Association the Health Research and Medication Trust Health Research and Educational Trust, and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices has produced three tools for healthcare professionals to apply evidence-based practices to their strategic planning efforts, pursuit of technology, and ongoing risk assessment of medication use.
View the Pathways for Medication Safety Tools

Case Management Society of America (CMSA)
The Case Management Society of America (CMSA) has several programs such as the Adherence Starts with Knowledge (ASK ®) that can help the healthcare team assess the patient’s adherence to medications and help patients make lifestyle changes.
The Adherence Starts with Knowledge (ASK ®) program which is a survey-based program designed to identify barriers to medication adherence and links to appropriate education materials.
View the ASK ® Resources

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
Medteach Version 4 patient drug information software is a program is designed to allow you to create monographs for your patients to provide them with drug information that can be customized to include patient specific information such as administration comments, physician's name and address, and pharmacy information.
Medteach Version 4 - www.ashp.org 

The American Geriatrics Society
Dedicates a portion of their site to patient education tools and materials such as brochures, handouts, and top sheets.
View the AGS Resources for Healthcare Providers

The Joint Commissions Sentinel Event Alert-Issue # 41: Preventing Error Relating to Commonly Used Anticoagulants  
 In this Sentinel Event Alert, the Joint Commission outlines factors that contribute to medication errors involving anticoagulants, risk reduction strategies, existing Joint Commission requirements and other Joint Commission suggested actions.

View the Joint Commissions Sentinel Event Alert –Issue # 41

Medication Calendars

Boston Medical Center, General Medication Calendar
Submitted and authored by Lindsay M. Arnold, Pharm.D., BCPS the General Medication Calendar was implemented in September of 2005 at Boston Medical Center a 547-bed academic, inner-city medical center. The format of the tool is paper based, medications & instructions are typed out and provided to patients prior to discharge.
Learn more about the Boston Medical Center General Medication Calendar

Boston Medical Center, Medication Calendar - Around the Clock
Submitted and authored by Lindsay M. Arnold, Pharm.D., BCPS and Gail Burniskie, Pharm.D., BCPS, the medication calendar-Around the Clock, was implemented in September 2005 at Boston Medical Center a 547-bed academic, inner-city medical center. The format of the tool is paper based, medications & instructions are typed out and provided to patients prior to discharge.
Learn more about the Medication Calendar -Around the Clock

Boston Medical Center, Medication Calendar-As Needed Medications
Submitted and authored by Lindsay M. Arnold, Pharm.D., BCPS and Gail Burniskie, Pharm.D., BCPS, the medication calendar-Around the Clock, was implemented in September 2005 at Boston Medical Center a 547-bed academic, inner-city medical center. The format of the tool is paper based, medications & instructions are typed out and provided to patients prior to discharge.
Learn more about the Medication Calendar-As Needed Medications

Resources for Effective Patient Teaching

University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics, Patient Education Materials Website
The University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics has created a website dedicated to helping healthcare professionals create written patient education materials to facilitate effective patient teaching. The site also provides access to materials already created by the University of Utah Hospitals and tips on patient teaching.
View the University of Utah Patient Education Website

Administration on Aging (AoA)
The AoA is an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthcare Professionals can find information on addressing diversity, promoting healthy lifestyles, and their evidence based grants program.
View the AoA Resources for Professionals

National Council on Aging (NCOA)
The National Council on Aging provides toolkits, presentations, learning modules, and downloadable brochures around topics such as medication management, chronic diseases, nutrition, and physical activity to help promote healthy lifestyles for older adults.   
View the NCOA Resources

American Geriatric Society
The American Geriatric Society (AGS) offers education, public policy information, clinical practice tools, access to guidelines and other resources for physicians caring for the older adult. 
View the AGS Resources