Refuse To Misuse Campaign Launches
The Employers’ Health Coalition (EHC) Refuse to Misuse Antibiotic Campaign kicked off on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 and will run through the end of the year. Antibiotic over use and misuse is a major public health concern locally and throughout the country. This campaign is a win-win for everyone.
Working with area physicians, hospitals, county health departments, IMWell Health onsite medical clinics and EHC member companies, EHC will provide practical healthcare information throughout the greater Fort Smith and Hot Springs areas. Community awareness and educational materials will be provided using a variety of resources developed by EHC, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and other sources. EHC’s educational campaign will utilize printed materials, mass media messages and increased communications between physicians and patients.
When implemented in other parts of the country, data has shown a significant decrease in antibiotic use after the campaign. Besides decreasing the likelihood of developing antibiotic resistance, the decrease in unnecessary use of antibiotics allows our health plans to focus our limited financial resources on treating hypertension, diabetes and asthma where the cost/benefit ratio is always high.
This program is a great opportunity for the Coalition to show a leadership role on a community level, showcase the need for better education on value based healthcare issues and ties directly to our mission of improving the health and quality of healthcare among our employees and the communities we live in
