Hospital-ity
There you have it! Go in with something, come out with something else, or not at all. The game of Russian roulette has begun, in a casino called a hospital, with dealers dressed in white, all in the name of “hospital-ity.” This game is different, however. Lives are at stake, and you, the crap shooter, not the house, are in control of your own destiny. With 98,000 people dying each year in hospitals due to medical mistakes, the stakes are quite high. The cards are stacked against you, and unless you play with something up your sleeve, namely, the trump card of information, you are destined to see your pile of chips dwindle, as the lack of hospital electronic medical records, the longer working hours of physicians and nurses, and the lack of simple precautionary measures like handwashing all contribute to a nasty stay or your ultimate demise. Even in a best case scenario and in topnotch hospitals, hospital-ity is at a premium, with 18 percent of patients hurt as a result of a medical procedure, medication, infection, or other cause, a euphemism for “blunder.” While counting cards is prohibited, some numbers simply cannot be overlooked. The lion’s share of hospital harm, over 63 percent by some estimates, can be prevented, and the name of the game, pure and simple, to do this is getting educated. Whether a patient is hospitalized for diabetes or surgery, the rules for maximum patient satisfaction and pay-out are similar, as are the consequences for failure to abide by them. How many times have we heard horror stories about wrong limbs being amputated, wrong operations being performed, patients going into hypoglycemic shock, and antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria having free reign in hospital wards? In most cases, a throw of the dice is just that, when an ounce of prevention would have most certainly yielded a seven or eleven. And you say you’re not a gambler?
So, what can be done to turn the tide on the house, and stack the deck in favor of the bird to be plucked, namely, the patient? First of all, stay informed. Don’t be intimidated by your surroundings or by the air of importance generated by your health dealers in white. They are there to serve you, and not vice versa. The more questions you ask and the more informed you are, the smoother your treatment will be. You can take that to the bank! Secondly, don’t hide cards up your sleeve, when it comes to allergies, alcohol use, sexual activity, medications and supplements, and any other piece of relevant medical information that you consider too personal or too embarrassing to reveal. Remember, anything your doctor or nurse doesn’t know can kill you! Another bit of information to carry with you to the cash-out cage or discharge desk is a full understanding of any prescription your physician has written for you. Doctor’s scrawl is akin to hieroglyphics, and don’t expect your friendly neighborhood pharmacist to possess the Rosetta Stone or read your physician’s mind. Whether it be the name of a drug, the dose, its frequency, side effects, the availability of a generic version over a brand name, or any special instructions, make sure you cut the cards openly and cut your losses, too, by holding both your doctor and your pharmacist to the letter of the label. Pills, capsules, and tablets are like colored poker chips. Sometimes they get lost in the heat of the shuffle or the intensity of play. So, be sure on that score.
It goes without saying that you should move around the hospital as if it were a casino, and as if you were looking for just the right slot machine. Bedsores, blood clots, and infections have a tendency to make losers of the immobile. It is a no-brainer, therefore, to at least take that walk down the hall once a day. Don’t be afraid to speak up either, if you happen to run into your doctor or nurse, and wish to ask a question, get something off your chest, or obtain clarification on some aspect of your care. That’s what they’re there for, and the worst they can do is ban you from the casino for life, in which case you’ll choose a future hospital with better health care providers, management teams, educators, dietitians, and ancillary staff. You hold the four aces as a consumer, and it is up to the pit boss and hospital administration to retain your health care dollar and your health care business. Something as apparently inconsequential as a caregiver failing to wash his or her hands, and then subsequently not complying with your gentle germophobic reproach and reminder to them to do so, is a serious matter and grounds for changing the table you are playing at.
Taking your personal health matters into your own hands will not only cut down on iatrogenic errors and unintentional cheating by the “whitecoats,” but will guarantee a pay-out measured in numerous disease-free years and improved quality of life. Don’t get taken to the cleaners by failing to do so!
© 2011, Albert M. Balesh, M.D. All rights reserved.
posted by Dr. Al at
2/08/2011 05:39:00 AM
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