Join the Health Facts Card Campaign

Know it, Show it, Tell it!

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- That’s the theme behind a new campaign to encourage people to understand their medication and medical treatments and share this information with their providers at every visit.

The Quad City Health Initiative and its founding sponsors, Genesis Health System and Trinity Regional Health System, are distributing 100,000 Health Facts Cards to community members. Free Health Facts Cards will be available at Genesis and Trinity sites, as well as at physician offices and pharmacies throughout the community.

Health Facts Cards provide space to record medications, vitamins, herbal and nutritional supplements, allergies, health history and emergency contact information. Such a list saves precious time during an emergency and is especially valuable when patients cannot speak for themselves. Make and carry such a list and share this information with doctors and pharmacists at every visit.

“Keeping a current and accurate list of medications is one of the most important things a patient can do to help improve the quality of their care,” says Jim Lehman, M.D., Vice President of Quality at Genesis Health System. “Physicians and hospitals must review medication information at every point in the care continuum. Having an informed and engaged patient reduces the possibility of medication errors and improves the safety of the care provided.”

Cards should be completed in pencil and updated with changes in medications or health status. “Often, the only thing that patients really know about their medication is the color of the pill,” says Virginia Fedorchak, Clinical Pharmacist, Trinity Regional Health System. “Patients need to know what medications they are taking, why they are taking them and how to take them correctly. It’s also important to understand possible side effects, things to avoid while taking the medication and if any laboratory tests are required while taking the medication.”

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