Sunil Kriplani’s idea among top 50 picked by American Express
Dr. Sunil Kriplani's idea to simplify medication information is one among the top 50 selected by the American Express Members Project. More than 7,500 ideas were submitted for an innovative initiative that gives American Express card members the opportunity to bring positive change to the world. Kripalani, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Emory University, is one of the nation's top researchers on health literacy. Much of Kripalani's personal experience has been confirmed by research, which shows that 36 percent of Americans are confused by prescription drug information. In fact, misunderstanding among patients about medications is one of the most common causes of preventable errors. Despite this fact, less than 10 percent of pharmacists actively work to identify patients who might have trouble.
To address this problem, Kripalani developed a tool that uses pictures to simplify medication information. His Picture Prescription Cards identify each medication prescribed and communicate its purpose, dosage and schedule. Testing by researchers at Emory University and Grady Memorial Hospital shows 94 percent of patients saying that the cards helped them remember which medicines to take, the name of the medication, its indication, dosage or time of administration.
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