OHA Launches "Your Health Care - Be Involved" Campaign

Ontario Hospital Association
200 Front Street West, Suite 2800
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3L1
Tel: (416) 205-1345 Fax: (416) 205-1360
Visit our Web Site: http://www.oha.com

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Toronto – Helping Ontarians play a larger role in managing their health care is the goal of "Your Health Care – Be Involved", a province-wide information campaign launched today by the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA).

"Today's patients want more information about their treatment programs, more information about the drugs they are prescribed, and more information about what they can do to get better faster," said Rob Devitt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Toronto East General Hospital and Chair of the OHA's Patient Safety Advisory Group. "The 'Your Health Care – Be Involved' campaign will give patients the information they need to make the most of every visit to their hospitals, their doctors, and their other health care providers."

Created by the OHA's Patient Safety Support Service with funding from Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, "Your Health Care – Be Involved" is designed to empower patients, enhance patient safety and promote better health outcomes by bringing the advice and expertise of health professionals together in five easy-to-understand "tips" for patients to use in any healthcare setting.

The five "tips" are:

Be involved in your health care. Speak up if you have questions or concerns about your care.
Tell a member of your health care team about your past illnesses and your current health condition.
Bring all of your medicines with you when you go to the hospital or to a medical appointment.
Tell a member of your health care team if you have ever had an allergic or bad reaction to any medicine or food.
Make sure you know what to do when you go home from the hospital or from your medical appointment.

"Patients are the 'captains' of their health care teams," said Hilary Short, President and CEO of the OHA. "These easy-to-understand tips will help them play this role more safely and more effectively."

Every hospital in Ontario has received "Your Health Care – Be Involved" materials, including "Tips" brochures, "What I Need To Know Before I Go Home" forms, posters, wallet cards, and a DVD infomercial for use during in-hospital television programming. To ensure that the "Your Health Care – Be Involved" tips are accessible to patients across Ontario, the OHA has undertaken a multi-city advertising campaign. Promotional materials are available in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Tagalog, Polish, Punjabi, Chinese, Greek, Tamil, Vietnamese, Hindi and Arabic. These materials, and the infomercial, are available under Patient Safety -> Patient Safety Tips at www.oha.com.

"The 'Your Health Care – Be Involved' campaign is yet another example of how Ontario's hospitals, the OHA and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care are working together to respond to make every health experience better, safer and more positive," said Short.

What Health Professionals Are Saying About "Your Health Care – Be Involved"
"The active interchange of information that builds mutual understanding of the patient's individual health needs is essential to the provision of safe, quality health care. Whether they are visiting their physician or dentist, patients need to talk about their health conditions to ensure they are getting the best care possible." – Dr. Jocelyn Pearce, President of the Ontario Dental Association

"When patients understand their conditions and treatment they have better outcomes. We encourage patients to be informed participants in their health care." – Dr. Greg Flynn, President, Ontario Medical Association

"Pharmacists work in all sectors of health care, including both hospital and community settings, where they provide patients with information about the proper use of their medications on a daily basis. This program is a great step forward in empowering patients to take an active role in their own health care and to work with the pharmacist to ensure the safe and effective use of medications." – Marc Kealey, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists' Association

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For further information:
Chris McPherson
OHA Public Affairs
416-205-1305