Contact: Terry J. LaBrue, APR
LaBrue Communications
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, 425-427-8481
For Immediate Release, December 6, 2011
Cautious Patient Foundation Launches New Program, “Your Doctor’s Advice,” to Help Patients Remember Medical Instructions and Improve Outcomes
HOUSTON – December 6, 2011 – The Cautious Patient Foundation announces a new national program designed to help patients remember their doctors’ medical instructions. Known as “Your Doctor’s Advice” (YDA), the program provides an easy-to-use, high-tech solution to a major contributing factor in patient noncompliance and poor medical outcomes.
According to Cari Oliver, M.D., founder of Cautious Patient Foundation, “Studies show that patients forget 30- to 70-percent of what their doctor tells them within minutes of leaving a medical office. With statistics like these, how can we expect good medical results? This is why we developed YDA, a simple, innovative application usable on all cell phones and the Internet.”
YDA is presented as an efficient, inexpensive, and easy-to-use tool that requires no additional work on the part of the physician. It captures specific medical advice, which the patient can listen to again and again. “It virtually eliminates the risk of forgetting crucial medical advice and the concept has been used for several years at the Oliver Center at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston,” added Dr. Oliver. “We’re very excited to offer it now to the general public through YourDoctorsAdvice.org.”
“We believe every patient and doctor should have this efficient tool that will help maintain a record and reminder of medical instructions,” noted Bill Thatcher, executive director of the Cautious Patient Foundation. “Thus, the foundation is offering the YDA source code free to hospitals and medical institutions throughout the United States.”
The initial response and enthusiastic adoption of the program by patients and physicians is extremely encouraging,” said Thatcher. “All U.S. doctors are taught to ask patients to repeat their advice before ending a visit. The trouble is, they don’t. The YDA application can help change this.”
With YDA, patients pull out their cell phones near the end of an office visit, speed-dial the YDA number, and tell their doctor they are leaving a quick oral note covering the advice they’ve been given. They speak into the cell phone: “Doctor [name] said… and… and… and.” Prior to hanging up they ask the doctor, “Is there anything else?” He or she can then elaborate, and the patient can add that to the message before hanging up.
Later, the patient simply logs in to their account on the secure YDA site. The program will have routed the phoned-in recording to his or her account.
They can listen to it again, take notes, or share it with family members. A cell phone can also access the recording.
“YDA has been continually upgraded and refined. The newly launched national YDA program, available to any patient with a cell phone, is already delivering excellent patient interaction. This is certain to promote positive medical outcomes,” said Thatcher.
About Your Doctor’s Advice and the Cautious Patient FoundationThe Cautious Patient Foundation is the educational arm of the nonprofit, Patient Always First, founded by Dr. Cari Oliver in 2004. With its family of educational programs and tools, the foundation is committed to educate and empower patients in their quest for quality healthcare. For more information about Your Doctor’s Advice, please visit www.yourdoctorsadvice.org, or www.cautiouspatient.org, or contact us at Cautious Patient Foundation, 1458 Campbell Road, Suite 150, Houston TX 77055. Executive Director Bill Thatcher may be reached by calling: 206.898.4473.
For additional information, contact:
Molly McWhinnie
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(206) 282-4923 ext. 121
Cautious Patient Foundation Announces New Grants Program
Aimed to Improve Patient Safety and Quality of Healthcare
Organization to Provide $100,000 in Grant Funding to Eligible Individuals,
Groups and Nonprofits
HOUSTON, TEXAS – April 18, 2011 – The Cautious Patient Foundation (CPF), the outreach and educational arm of PatientAlwaysFirst, a nonprofit organization committed to educating and empowering patients in the quest for quality health care, today announces a new grants program to support initiatives that successfully move patients towards greater engagement in their personal or family healthcare process. Over the next twelve months, CPF has allocated $100,000 for grants ranging in size from $2,000 to $7,000 to support projects proposed by individuals, groups or nonprofit organizations.
“The Cautious Patient Foundation strives to educate people on how to obtain better healthcare in addition to becoming more participatory and careful in their interactions with physicians to help reduce misdiagnoses and medical negligence,” said Dr. Cari Oliver, founder of Cautious Patient Foundation and PatientAlwaysFirst.“We have found that by providing individuals with the right tools and information to effectively interact with their own healthcare system, patients begin to experience better quality of care. This grant program is testament to Cautious Patient Foundation’s ongoing commitment to making tangible, positive contributions in empowering patients to participate in their own healthcare.”
There is a growing amount of frustration about the quality of healthcare in the U.S. Many patients today do not feel empowered, confident or safe questioning their medical providers about their care and course of treatment. However, when patients are provided with innovative tools and information on how to be their own best advocates for better healthcare, they and their loved ones begin to experience the quality healthcare they need and deserve.
“We are excited about the opportunity to provide project funding, at the grassroots level, to individuals who are working towards better healthcare outcomes on behalf of all present and future patients,” said Bill Thatcher, Executive Director of Cautious Patient Foundation. “Many of those working in this field have experienced first-hand what can go unnecessarily wrong in healthcare delivery services and they are working tirelessly to keep what they experienced from happening to anyone else. Through our grants program, we look forward to supporting projects that will help to promote positive patient outcomes in the healthcare industry.”
CPF will prioritize its grant funding based on the project’s measurable impact on the quality of healthcare and potential to reach the widest number of patients. Projects selected must align with CPF’s specific area of interest of improving patient-provider communication and efficiencies through educational programs and technology-based tools to achieve successful healthcare outcomes.
To apply for CPF’s grants, applicants are asked to submit a pre-application letter that describes the project for which funds are requested. Each request will be screened by CPF for further consideration and if selected, the applicant will be asked to submit a full proposal. Applications for grants will be accepted throughout the year and all applicants must be based in the United States.
Visit www.cautiouspatient.org for application instructions and program information.
About Cautious Patient Foundation
The Cautious Patient Foundation is the educational arm of non-profit organization, PatientAlwaysFirst, founded by Dr. Cari Oliver in 2004. With its family of educational programs and technology-based tools, the Cautious Patient Foundation is committed to educating and empowering patients in their quest for quality health care.
Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare
Experienced Educator and Social-work Professional to Support a Culture of Passion for Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare throughout UTMB
Galveston, Texas – Dec. 14, 2010 – The Oliver Center for Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare, located on the campus of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, today announced the appointment of Meredith Masel, as program manager. A longtime educator and social-work professional, Masel will provide leadership and management of the day-to-day operations for patient safety and quality improvement projects.
Founded by Dr. Carolyn J Oliver, the Oliver Center for Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare, which is part of a constellation of services and programs offered by the Cautious Patient Foundation, was dedicated in 2008 with the intent of promoting patient-centered care and addressing the needs and desires of patients and their families.
“Dr. Masel brings a tremendous level of knowledge, expertise and years of practical training to our team,” said Oliver, the founder of the Oliver Center for Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare. “She is a valuable addition, and we are extremely excited about the level at which she’ll be able to contribute to the work we are doing.” The center supports and coordinates projects throughout UTMB to maximize patient safety and improve the quality of care.
Masel will facilitate Oliver Center quality improvements, manage day-to-day operations and create and develop appropriate projects for the Center to lead. She will support a culture of passion for patient safety and quality healthcare throughout UTMB.
Prior to her appointment, Masel was the program manager of the Center to Eliminate Health Disparities in Galveston, and is an assistant professor at the Departments of Rehabilitation Sciences & Preventative Medicine and Community Health at UTMB.
“For me, this appointment is the culmination of my years as a health researcher and social worker,” said Masel. “The potential that I see in working with Dr. Oliver and the Oliver Center for patient safety and advocacy is endless.”
Other positions Masel has held include Kempner Scholar at UTMB, working to improve the health of Mexican-Americans; social work curriculum coordinator at the UTMB East Texas Geriatric Education Center; social-work consultant for the Lance Armstrong Foundation; and in various roles as a researcher and teaching/graduate assistant.
As a principal research investigator, Masel brings a long list of research activities and experience to her new role at the Oliver Center. She has held coordinator and fellowship posts with a host of research projects funded by the Health Research and Services Administration as well as the National Institutes of Health, including the East Texas Geriatric Education Center, Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Research, Health of Older Minorities and Health Concordance of Older Mexican American Couples.
Masel is well-published with significant work in peer-reviewed journals, manuscripts, book chapters, dissertations and other publications. In addition, Masel served as a manuscript reviewer for various journals and publications. She is also a prominent program presenter and active national committee chair and member for a host of organizations including the American Public Health Association, the Gerontological Society of America, and the United Way of Galveston.
A recipient of several national scholarships, awards and fellowships, Masel is also currently a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Population Association of America.
The Oliver Center for Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare
The Oliver Center for Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare was dedicated in 2008 with the intent of promoting patient-centered care, which addresses the needs and wants of patients and their families. Dr. Carolyn J. Oliver made this center possible through a $2 million pledge, her personal convictions, and her passion in patient safety and quality healthcare, born from her training and personal experience. The center supports and coordinates projects throughout UTMB to maximize patient safety and improve the quality of care. For more information, please visit http://www.utmb.edu/olivercenter.
ABOUT UTMB Health
Established in 1891, Texas’ first academic health center comprises four health sciences schools, three institutes for advanced study, a research enterprise that includes one of only two national laboratories dedicated to the safe study of infectious threats to human health, and a health system offering a full range of primary and specialized medical services throughout Galveston County and the Texas Gulf Coast region. UTMB Health is a component of the University of Texas System.
