Federal Employee Health Benefits

OSF HealthPlans Patient Safety Initiatives

Medical errors are one of the nation's leading causes of death and injury. A recent report by the Institute of Medicine estimates that between 44,000 and 98,000 people die in U.S. hospitals each year as the result of medical errors. This means more people die each year from medical errors than from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS.

The single most important way you can help to prevent medical errors and increase patient safety is to be an active member of your health care team. That means taking part in every decision about your health care.

While there is no benchmark or national guideline available to measure and evaluate patient safety activity, OSF HealthPlans is considering placing a question on its annual CAHPS member survey to help gauge how our members are becoming an active participant in their health care.

1. At OSF HealthPlans, our Chief Medical Officer is our patient safety officer. This position is responsible for establishing the medical protocols, techniques, policies and procedures to be used by physicians/providers who deliver direct member patient care. They also develop, implement and maintain our quality patient care and patient safety standards, policies and programs.

2. Through its network of pharmacies, AdvancePCS, our pharmacy benefit manager, provides drug-drug interaction alerts to pharmacists at the point of service (POS). These edits provide the pharmacist with an opportunity to evaluate the clinical significance of an interaction and consult with the prescribing physician as indicated. AdvancePCS uses the MediSpan Drug Therapy Monitoring System (DTMS) for providing authoritative, clinically relevant drug interaction information for prescription and over the counter drugs. We also send a Patient Safety Report to each physician regarding drug-drug interactions.

3. OSF HealthPlans offers several programs for health promotion and disease management at no additional cost to our members. These programs do not replace the primary doctor's care and members continue to follow the treatment plan as recommended. Our goal is to help members be informed and take care of their health. The following programs are offered and usually explained in our member newsletter, OSF Health Notes:

   • Asthma (Green Light, Breathe Right) - A program for members ages 5-59 with asthma. A packet is sent including educational materials on asthma, asthma medications, an asthma action plan and a peak flow meter.
   • Childhood Immunizations - We send a personalized card with an immunization schedule close to the child's first birthday and at 18 months.
   • Cholesterol (Close to the Heart) - A program for members who are taking prescription medicines to lower their lipid levels. It is a 24-month; self-management program done by mail that consists of educational and motivational tools to improve health.
   • Congestive Heart Failure (Care Support Advisor) - A program for members with congestive heart failure. The program offers telephone access to a registered nurse 24 hours a day who will provide information and support on a regular basis.
   • Diabetes (Care Support Advisor) - A program for members with diabetes. The program offers telephone support access to a registered nurse 24 hours a day who will provide information and support on a regular basis.
   • Flu/Pneumococcal Vaccination - We encourage all members over the age of 50, and members with chronic conditions, to receive the flu vaccination yearly in the fall or winter. The pneumococcal vaccine is needed once per lifetime, but some people may need a booster. We send an informational brochure explaining the benefits of getting these vaccinations.
   • Prenatal (Notes to Mom) - A program for members who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Each member receives a binder of information about pregnancy, labor and delivery, and care of an infant.
   • Smoking Cessation (Your Choice) - A program for members over the age of 18 who smoke. It is a self-help, self-pace program done by mail that consists of personalized letters and educational materials to help members with their quitting efforts.