Health Alert 211
Have you ever been a patient in a hospital? A new survey found that hospitals can be alarmingly dangerous places to be. One in five hospitalized patients reported medical hazards in their care, sometimes harrowing trouble.
Another study led by the New England Journal of Medicine reported that side effects from drugs plague one in four patients. Tragically, 39 % of these side effects were preventable, such as known allergies to the drug used. In those cases, they gave the wrong drug 45% of the time; prescribed the wrong dosage 10% of the time; and told the patient to take a drug too frequently 10 % of the time.
If you’ve never experienced a hospital stay, I hope you never do. But just in case, today I’ll tell you how you can better your chances of avoiding one of these disasters. And, I’ll show you how you can “check out” the hospital before “check in”.
* Small Problems Can Quickly Turn Into Big Ones *
You’ve heard the horror stories about doctors leaving surgical instruments inside patients or surgeons operating on the wrong body part – or the wrong person. Fortunately, mistakes like these tend to be the exception. But the more common mistakes in the hospital can be just as detrimental.
You could contract a hospital-borne infection. You can get the wrong medication, be ignored by the nurses and not be able to talk with your doctor when you need to. These things can quickly add up to a dangerous situation.
So how do you make sure you get the kind of care you need? If it’s an emergency of course, there is no time to prepare. Most hospitalizations though are scheduled. Try to work in partnership with your doctor to prevent medical errors.
* Take Charge of Your Hospital Care *
Avoid hospital overnights if possible. Doctors can perform many procedures on an outpatient basis now. Ask if this is possible for your procedure or illness. And, ask if you can have any necessary diagnostic tests in separate appointments as an outpatient.
Choose a hospital well versed in the type of procedure you need. Patients tend to have better results when they’re in a hospital that’s very experienced in treating their conditions.
Be assertive about your needs. Pain, for instance, can slow your recovery. And, it’s much harder to get pain under control than to prevent it.
Know the staff. Learn their names; discuss how they plan to handle your care. If you don’t understand something, ask them to explain. And keep track of shift changes to make sure information passes from one set of nurses to the next.
Prevent infections. Check the skin around dressings or catheters to be sure it stays clean and dry. Also check catheters or drainage tubes to make sure they’re secure. If not, notify a nurse immediately.
Encourage visitors. They can help you voice questions and concerns to staff. Often just their presence will prompt staff to do that little bit extra that makes your stay easier and safer.
Plan your exit. Be open with your doctor about how your symptoms so he gets the whole picture of your progress during your stay. When you do discharge, make sure your doctor clearly explains the treatment plan you will use at home.
Here’s another useful tool: Log onto hospital ratings companies on the Internet. They provide unbiased reviews for hospitals in various regions. The best are Health Care Choices (www.healthcarechoices.com), and Health Grades (www.healthgrades.com). Many states also offer hospital ratings. You can contact your state health department to find out if your state provides this service.
Al Sears MD
Survey, Consumer Reports, January 2003
Savvy Patients Can Avoid Many Common Hospital Problems, WebMD December 10, 2002
2 Get The Best Hospital Care, Working Mother magazine, June 2004
Prevent Medical Errors During Hospital Stays, www.webmedhealth.com
Survey, Consumer Reports, January 2003
Get the Best Hospital Care, Working Mother magazine, June 2004
Preventing Infections in the Hospital, American Medical Association brochure