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By Jan Jarvis

Complicated medical literature, stacks of discharge orders and convoluted prescriptions can frustrate patients and lead to costly hospitalizations or even death.

SaferCare Texas, a team of interprofessional patient safety experts, wants to change that landscape by giving patients information they understand, simplifying medical forms and teaching healthcare providers how to communicate more effectively, said Jessica Maack Rangel, RN, Nurse Executive and Director of SaferCare Texas.

The team from SaferCare Texas, formerly known as the Institute for Patient Safety, includes experts in nursing, pharmacy, pathology, public health and other specialties who are dedicated to implementing innovative solutions and applying evidence-based strategies to make health care safer.

“We are challenging traditional thinking to eliminate preventable harm to patients,” Maack Rangel said. “We are focusing on national, state-wide and local issues that impact all aspects of health care.”

One of the organization’s goals is to improve patient outcomes though health literacy, which is the ability to understand health information and make appropriate, informed decisions. Only an estimated 12 percent of people in the United States are proficient enough to effectively manage their health care.

SaferCare Texas works with clinicians, administrators, educators and students to improve the quality of the discharge instructions, medical forms and educational material provided to patients, students and their families. When patients and their families understand their medications, conditions and treatments, the outcomes are far better and the chances of any mistakes are reduced, Maack Rangel said.

SaferCare Texas is also focusing on the role of effective, interprofessional teams in reducing harm through improved communication and team development. Other issues being addressed through SaferCare Texas include medication safety, ambulatory clinic safety, opioid trends in Texas and clinician education in patient safety.

“We are dedicated to keeping our finger on the pulse of what matters to our patients and our community,” Maack Rangel said. “Ultimately it’s about relationships, the human experience and what is in the best interest of the patient and their families on their journeys to optimal health without harm.”

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