May 2025 Provider's Corner

National Men’s Health Month

Buckeye Health Plan encourages men to make their health a priority by staying up-to-date on important preventative care appointments and screenings. Only 12 Percent of men turn to a doctor first when they have a health issue and only two in five go to the doctor when they fear they have a serious medical condition, that is why it is important to promote Annual Preventative visits. These visits are a catalyst to closing gaps in care (i.e., blood pressure, diabetes, cancer screenings), addressing social determinants of health needs, and getting members scheduled and/or referred for required screenings.

Contingent on the age of the patient, the need for certain screenings may differ. Please some of the key screenings for men ages 18-39:

Screening for men ages 18 to 39	Who needs it
Alcohol misuse	All men in this age group
Blood pressure	All men in this age group
Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes	All adults begin screening at age 35.
Hepatitis C	All men ages 18 to 79
High cholesterol or triglycerides	All men ages 20 and older
HIV	All men
Obesity	All men in this age group
Syphilis	Men at higher risk for infection.
Tuberculosis	Men at higher risk for infection.
Vision	All men in this age group
Sexually transmitted infection prevention	Men who are sexually active
Skin cancer	All men in this age group

Screening for Men Ages 40 to 49	Who needs it
Alcohol misuse	All men in this age group
Blood pressure	All men in this age group
Depression	All men in this age group
Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes	All men ages 35 to 70 with no symptoms who are overweight or obese.
BMI (body mass index)	All men in this age group
Type 2 diabetes	All men with prediabetes
Hepatitis C	All adults ages 18 and older at least once in a lifetime.
High cholesterol or triglycerides	All men in this age group
HIV	All men in this age group
Obesity	All men in this age group
Prostate cancer	Starting at age 45
Colorectal cancer	Men age 45 and older at average risk
Syphilis	Men who are at higher risk for infection
Tuberculosis	Men who are at higher risk for infection.
Vision	All men in this age group

Screening for Men Ages 50 to 64	Who needs it
Unhealthy alcohol use	All men in this age group
Blood pressure	All men in this age group
Colorectal cancer	All men in this age group
Depression	All men in this age group
Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes	All men in this age group with no symptoms who are overweight or obese.
Type 2 diabetes	All men with prediabetes
Hepatitis C	All adults age 18 or older at least once in a lifetime.
High cholesterol or triglycerides	All men in this age group
HIV	All men in this age group
Lung cancer	Smoke or have smoking history
Obesity	All men in this age group
BMI (body mass index)	All men in this age group
Prostate cancer	All men in this age group
Syphilis	Men at higher risk for infection
Tuberculosis	Men at higher risk for infection
Vision	All men in this age group

Screening for Men Ages 65 or Older	Who needs it
Abdominal aortic aneurysm	Men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked.
Unhealthy alcohol use	All men in this age group
Blood pressure	All men in this age group
Colorectal cancer	All men at average risk in this age group through age 75. For men older than 85, screening is not advised.
Depression	All men in this age group
Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes	All men up to age 70 who are overweight or obese
Type 2 diabetes	All men with prediabetes
Hepatitis C	All men ages 18 or older
High cholesterol or triglycerides	All men in this age group
HIV	Men at higher risk of infection
Lung cancer	Men between ages 50 and 80 who smoke or have a smoking history.
Obesity	All men in this age group
Prostate cancer	All men in this age group
Syphilis	Men at higher risk of infection
Tuberculosis	Men at higher risk of infection
Vision	All men in this age group

Medication errors are a critical issue in healthcare and understanding the latest findings on effective strategies can help mitigate these risks. We’ve summarized key points and recommended interventions based on the 2024 Network of Patient Safety Databases Chartbook: Medication and Other Substance Events.

Key Findings:

Over 486,000 medication or substance-related reports were submitted by the end of 2023, highlighting the prevalence of these errors.
Errors can occur at any stages of the medication process, from prescribing to administration. Targeted interventions at every stage are essential for error prevention.
Distractions, fatigue, and miscommunication are all major factors that have been found to contribute to medication errors.
A significant percentage of these errors result in patient harm, making it crucial to implement strategies that reduce adverse outcomes.

Recommended Interventions:

Improve communication among healthcare providers with clear verbal orders, complete documentation, and effective handoff procedures to reduce miscommunication-related errors.
Implement electronic health records (EHRs), computerized physician order entry (CPOE), and barcode-assisted medication administration to minimize manual errors and streamline processes.
Regularly educate and train healthcare providers on medication safety practices and error prevention techniques, including simulation training to enhance preparedness.
Encourage patients to be active participants in their care by educating them about their medications and verifying their understanding, which can help prevent errors related to patient non-compliance.
Establish robust systems for reporting and analyzing medication errors to identify patterns and implement corrective actions, fostering a culture of safety and continuous improvement.
Implement additional safeguards for high-alert medications, which have a higher risk of causing significant harm if used incorrectly, ensuring extra precautions are taken.

Buckeye Health Plan encourages our healthcare providers to apply these findings and interventions to elevate patient safety and lower medication error rates.

AHRG

2024 Network of Patient Safety Databases Chartbook

May 2025 Provider's Corner

Key Screenings for Men Ages 18-39

Key Screenings for Men Ages 40-49

Key Screenings for Men Ages 50-64

Key Screenings for Men Age 65 or Older

Medication Errors: Critical Findings and Practical Interventions