SaferCare Texas

Author: safercaretexas

Healthy Food Plants the Seed for Health Equity

Social,Determinants,Of,Health

People who live in food deserts that have low income and no transportation are particularly affected by numerous social determinant barriers to good health.1 Children who grow up eating unhealthy food may experience long-term impact on their food preferences and health later in life.2 Limited opportunity to learn good health practices – low health literacy – perpetuates poor health and poverty causing a vicious cycle that starts with each generation of children. In fact, food insecurity is linked to health disparities in children including: 

  1. Fair or poor health, 
  2. Iron deficiency, 
  3. Lower cognitive performance, 
  4. Behavioral issues, 
  5. Parental mental health issues, 
  6. Asthma, 
  7. Depression, anxiety & suicidal thoughts and 
  8. Poor dental health.3

For all populations, good health and nutrition are important for prevention and management of chronic conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Proper nutrition is one aspect of preventing obesity, which is a major health risk globally and in the United States.4 While the importance of good nutrition is well understood by healthcare providers, putting nutrition recommendations into practice can be difficult for many families challenged by food insecurity and low health literacy.

When we consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, it becomes clear that meeting basic physiological needs such as hunger can help communities progress towards health equity by reaching higher hierarchal levels of social and civic activities needed to change social infrastructure. These changes are important to the equitable future of children as healthy lifestyles and disease prevention should start early in life.

Improving health literacy among other social determinants of health can help with resolving health disparities such as observed with Covid-19.5 To decrease health disparities and thus, impact health equity, focus placed on resolutions to social determinant issues will plant the seeds that grow into an equitable future:

  1. Multi-faceted interventions to address social infrastructure;
  2. Increased self-efficacy by empowering people to navigate the current healthcare system and make healthy decisions; and
  3. Health and nutrition literacy policy strategies to overcome the complex phenomena of social determinants and empower people to eat healthy and reduce disease risk among populations.1

The seeds that resolve food insecurity can also resolve health disparities nourishing equal health opportunities for all communities and combatting future public health disparities experienced in Covid-19.5

 

Author: Teresa Wagner, DrPH, MS, CPH, RD/LD, CPPS, CHWI, DipACLM, CHWC 

References

1Healthy People 2030. Social Determinants of Health. https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/social-determinants-health

 

2Walker, Renee E., Jason Block, and Ichiro Kawachi. (2012). Do Residents Of Food Deserts Express Different Food Buying Preferences Compared To Residents Of Food Oases? A Mixed-Methods Analysis. International Journal Of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity, 9(1), 41-53.

 

3Gundersen, C. & Ziliak, J.P. (2015). Food Security and Health Disparities in Children. Health Affairs, 34(11), 1830–1839.

 

4Healthy People 2030. Leading Health Indicators.

https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/leading-health-indicators

 

5Abrams, E. & Szefler, S. (2020). COVID-19 and the impact of social determinants of health. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213260020302344

Men’s Mental Health: #BreakTheStigma

Throughout the pandemic mental health has become an increasing concern across our society. According to the CDC, in June 2020, 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health or substance use.

However, we are focusing on one group particular this month – men. June is Men’s Health Month, and we are exploring the mental health needs of men as a part of their overall health and wellness. With suicide in men on the rise and the stigma associated with men and mental health, it’s important we bring awareness and solutions.

Stigma of Men and Mental Health 

Historically, society dictated that boys be raised with what it perceives to be the core values of a man: confidence, strength, success, and composure. Men and boys were told too often:

  • “Be a man”
  • “Don’t Cry”
  • “Tough it Out” 

And showing any emotion or vulnerability was associated with weakness.

However, this type of thinking is outdated and doesn’t speak to the current medical understanding of mental illness.

Although there has been work done around reducing this stigma and expanding opportunities for men who are battling mental health, many men still struggle admitting they may need help. 

Men & Mental Health Facts

In order to comprehend the magnitude mental health has on men, it’s important to understand the different mental health problems men face. Below is an infographic that illustrates the bigger picture of men and mental health. 

men mental health

Warning Signs to Look For

Mental Health in men can look different from women and so can their coping mechanisms. According to (Martin, Neighbors, and Griffith, 2013), men manifest emotional pain with the following symptoms: 

mental health

What You Can Do

What men need to realize is that they are not alone and there is a community waiting to help them. Here are some ways you can help break the stigma and bring awareness to mental health. 

  • As a society we need to avoid trivializing depression in men. Instead of statements like “Tough it out” or “Man up!”, extend psychological safety in the form of empathy.
  • We need to change our expectations and reactions. It is important to be a better friend, partner, co-worker. Actively listen, seek to understand, and permit outward demonstrations of emotion. This is healthy, and may result in better fathers, husbands, and family members.
  • Share helpful resources. Here’s a compiled list: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help/ 
  • Challenge: motivate males around you – children, friends, neighbors – to openly share their feelings. While emotions are unreliable decision-makers, releasing them creates healthy psyches and results in healthy behaviors.

SaferCare Texas and Mental Health

At Safercare Texas, our mission is to eliminate preventable harm. Mental health is becoming a topic we are focusing our efforts and resources on. Fortunately, mental health can be treated and preventable. We are currently hosting QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) trainings to teach steps anyone can use to help prevent suicide. Contact us today to learn more about our trainings. You can be a part of the solution of reducing suicidal behaviors. 

Author: John Sims, Director of SaferCare Texas

Make Every Day a Safe Day

For this month’s blog, I’m going to focus on a topic that we don’t often like to talk about in health care – process standardization. Despite its success in other industries, process standardization in health care has been a challenge. However, a growing body of literature illustrates that when processes vary, not only do patient outcomes suffer but safety may be compromised.  In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a global patient safety initiative called the High 5s project in an effort to jumpstart the development and implementation of Standard Operating Protocols (SOPs) in health care with the goal of improving safety in health care.

Ensuring safety is not limited to the individual responsibility of caregivers. Safety depends on the processes and systems in place within the practice setting, e.g., a hospital, a clinic, or in the home, etc.  Organizational culture IMPACTS patient safety.  It’s time to design processes in health care using safety science. 

For example, a basic practice in every aspect of health care is hand hygiene. In 2020, we heard a lot about hand hygiene as we dealt with the coronavirus and this continues today.  Handwashing may sound simple, but hand washing in health care is serious business.

In health care, hand hygiene requires a standardized approach to ensure that all caregivers and team members perform it in the same manner.  The table below outlines the two recommended methods for performing hand hygiene, when caregivers and other team members should do this, and the procedure.

Hand Hygiene in Health Care Settings

Another example revolves around communication. Communication errors are common in all health care settings and are almost always a contributing factor in adverse events including events that result in harm. One easy-to-remember communication tool is SBAR – Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation.

Using this tool, standardizes the way information is presented to another person. SBAR is useful in any conversation, but especially in situations where immediate attention and action are required. Using this tool helps to clarify what is being communicated between team members. An added benefit is it also helps with developing teamwork. Ensuring clear and complete communication goes a long way to create a culture of safety. 

What using SBAR looks like

In order to eliminate preventable harm, we must practice what we preach. I challenge you and your team to make one change in in your everyday practice. Implementing one (or both) of these standardized processes can help make EVERY DAY A SAFE DAY!

If you have any questions about implementation or need additional safety protocols, contact us today. We are always happy to help! 

Author: Tracy Chamblee, PHD, APRN, PCNS-BC, CPHQ, CPPS

Clinical Executive

Patient Safety Awareness Week: Speak Up for Safer Care

This week is Patient Safety Awareness Week, a time to reflect on the importance of safety in health care.  In every aspect of the continuum of care there is risk for harm to a patient or a health care team member.  This is not new. In fact, in the United States, medical errors are a leading cause of death with nearly 400,000 deaths each year due to errors or preventable harm.  But not all harm results in death. Some patients or team members experience temporary or long-term harm that impacts their physical, emotional or financial health. For more than two decades, the health care industry has been on a journey to improve safety.  In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shed a bright light on the need to fix, once and for all, the persistent safety issues in health care.  

In order to prioritize patient safety, four key areas must be present: 

·       Culture, Leadership, and Governance 

·       Patient and Family Engagement

·       Workforce Safety

·       Continuous Learning.

 

First, safety must be a core value of all health care organizations. Because safety is deeply rooted in organizational culture, the time is now for leaders to foster an unwavering commitment to EVERYONE SAFE, EVERY DAY. We must fully engage with our patients and their families in their care. To know them, the whole them. 

Additionally, leaders need to address the stigma associated with self-care that exists in health care and promote self-care and help-seeking behaviors for our workforce. We must foster work environments that are safe EVERY DAY — physically and emotionally. 

 

How Are We Speaking Up For Safer Care

At SaferCare Texas our mission is to eliminate preventable harm. We work every day to educate, train, and identify opportunities to eliminate medical errors to assure all patients receive the safest care.  Below are several of our resources and programs that we use to speak up for safer care.

Asthma 411

Our Asthma 411 program is a comprehensive evidence-based program that equips school nurses with the necessary training and resources to quickly respond to a child in respiratory distress.

With a physician’s standing orders, a school nurse can quickly assess a student who is having difficulty breathing and administer nebulized albuterol to help the child breathe better.

In collaboration with public school districts and schools, Asthma 411 staff members track attendance information and other data to validate the program’s effectiveness. We work with the district to use those data to generate state-mandated reports.

What About Mom? App

Moms need help too! After having a baby, there is a lot to think about for new moms. Our app makes life a little easier. The What About Mom? app shows postpartum moms how to take care of their health. Check it out. 

Training on Culture and Linguistically Appropriate Services Standards (CLAS)

Health literacy is a major driver of patient safety at SaferCare Texas. If health care professionals don’t communicate with patients correctly, they can do more harm than good. The C.LA.S. standards course, led by our health literacy subject matter expect, Dr. Teresa Wagner, teaches health care professionals how to provide culturally competent care for patients and clients.

Rural Health

Telehealth has become a standard in health care today, but in rural health it brings several challenges: Wifi issues, connectivity, technology devices, limited access to local providers. We have partnered with Pottsboro library to help community members easily access health care.

Additionally, we are working with Titus Regional Medical Center to bring health literacy to rural areas. Stay tuned for our upcoming workshops and training.

Patient Safety Organization

We are currently working on creating the first ever “Medical Office Patient Safety Organization.” According to AHRQ, Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs) collect and analyze data voluntarily reported by healthcare providers to help improve patient safety and healthcare quality. PSOs provide feedback to healthcare providers aimed at promoting learning and preventing future patient safety events. Working with a PSO makes it possible for information from healthcare providers to receive certain legal protections and to be contributed to the Network of Patient Safety Databases (NPSD).

Stay tuned for progress reports and updates. 

Now It’s Your Turn to Speak Up For Safer Care

During Patient Safety Awareness Week, we challenge you to think of one thing that you can do to improve safety in your workplace. It might be something simple like committing to improve your communication. Communication errors are almost always a contributing factor in adverse events including events that result in harm. 

You can also join our #SpeakUpForSaferCare campaign. We would love to hear what you end up doing to help eliminate harm.

Have questions? Contact us today to learn how you can be a part of the patient safety community. 

 

Author: Tracy Chamblee

PHD, APRN, PCNS-BC, CPHQ, CPPS

 

Clinical Executive, SaferCare Texas

Turning our Thoughts to our Hearts

heart month

It’s February. Our thoughts turn to matters of the heart. First, it’s American Heart Month, a time to spotlight heart disease, a leading cause of death in the United States and the world. This year marks the 57th anniversary of American Heart Month. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson, a heart attack survivor himself, issued the first proclamation to increase awareness about heart disease and it continues today.

Wear Red This Friday

The first Friday of American Heart Month, Feb. 5, is National Wear Red Day, focusing on the issue of heart disease in women. Did you know that 1 out of 3 women are diagnosed with heart disease each year? Too many.  On Friday, Feb. 5th, across the country, billboards, buildings, and millions of people will go red in support of the fight against heart disease. For more information on joining the campaign, visit goredforwomen.org.

A Healthy Heart 

Furthermore, this year American Heart Month is more important than ever due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  For example, research on the coronavirus suggests that it has potential harmful effects on the heart and vascular system. Additionally, more people have delayed or avoided going to the hospital when they had symptoms of a heart attack, resulting in more deaths from heart disease. Then, there is the issue of living in lockdown – eating more, drinking more alcohol, and exercising less, all of which contribute to heart disease.

It’s important to take steps that help heart health, especially since heart disease continues to be a leading cause of death in not only the U.S., but across the globe. In 2019, more than 18 million people in the world died of heart disease, an increase from the previous decade.  There is more work to do in this area to ensure that we live longer and healthier. 

Heart Month and Valentine’s Day

During February our thoughts also turn to love as we celebrate Valentine’s Day. If you think about it, these two events, American Heart Month and Valentine’s Day, are related.  They are both about love.

According to the Ancient Greeks, there are six types of love:

  • Eros, named after the Greek god of fertility, involves passionate love and loss of control, e.g., falling madly in love;
  • Philia involves deep comradery and loyalty — your BFFs; another kind of Philia called Storge represents love for your family
  • Ludus is teasing, playful love, aka flirting
  • Agape is selfless love and is the origin of the word “charity”
  • Pragma is described as mature, realistic love; standing in love – making an effort to give love rather than receive it – think long term relationships.
  • Philautia is self-love; too much leads to narcissism and obsession, but the idea is to like yourself and feel secure in yourself so that you have love to give others.

I believe the message from the Greeks is that we should nurture the many varieties of love.  Don’t just seek eros, cultivate philia by spending more time with old friends, or develop ludus by dancing the night away.  The beauty of this is we can do this today even during the pandemic.  Simple acts of love can go a long way to help others who are weary and weathered from the struggles of this past year.

And then there’s philautia, self-love. We owe it to ourselves to have a healthy heart. We foster this by adopting the following: a healthy lifestyle, including not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, treating high blood pressure, getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, and getting regular checkups.

There is still time to make positive changes for 2021.  Love your heart. Love yourself. Love others. Be loved.

Author: Tracy Chamblee, PHD, APRN, PCNS-BC, CPHQ, CPPS

Clinical Executive