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Empowering Patients
To Be
Their Own
Health Care Advocates
Voice4Patients.Com
PO Box 273
Warren, ME. 04864
(207) 975-3475
www.voice4patients.com
voice4patients@aol.com
National Support
Services
PULSEAmerica.Org
(719) 564-0280
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Voice4Patients.Com |
Patient
Safety
Become your own Health Care Advocate, for yourself and
those that you love
In This Issue: Asking the Right Questions |
How do you interview a physician to see
if he/she is the right one for you? What are the right questions to ask?
Does the Doctor have the knowledge, training and experience to provide you with
the best (safest) health care?
PULSEAmerica, a support group for the
survivors and victims of medical error, suggests asking the following questions
during an interview:
1. What medical
school did you attend?
2. What year did you graduate?
3. What was your grade point average? Was this standard, above or below the
average for that school?
4. Did you receive any specialized training?
5. If so, what kind? Are you certified in this?
6. Are you Board Certified? What for? When did you receive your credentials?
7. What hospitals are you affiliated with?
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Discussion on Surgery and
Treatments
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1. Have you ever provided
this treatment (surgery, etc.) before? How many times last year? How many times
a week? Would you consider yourself an Expert?
2. If they reply that they do not consider themselves to be an expert, ask if
they will refer you to one?
3. Will you be available in the days following my treatment and/or surgery? Are
you available after hours? How do I reach you?
4. What are the side effects of the treatment or surgery?
5. What are the possible complications of the treatment/surgery? How common are
they?
6. Will you be training students or other physicians during the procedure?
7. Who will be in the operating room with us?
8. What is my expected recovery time?
9. Does the facility have a patient advocate available ?
"If you are not 100% satisfied with
your physician's response to ANY of these questions, now is the time to discuss
it. Do not allow a doctor to answer, "Don’t Worry." You have the
right to be concerned about your treatment," Ilene Corina, Founder of
Pulse - New York.
PULSEAmerica
PO Box 353
Wantagh, NY. 11793
(516) 579-4711
P.U.L.S.E. - Persons United Limiting Substandards and Errors
www.PULSEAmerica.org
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The Agency for
Health Care Research and Quality suggests that patients follow these guidelines
in advocating for their own health care: |
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"20 Tips to
Help Prevent Medical Errors: Patient Fact Sheet" |
1. The single most important way you can prevent errors is
to be an active member of your health care team.
That means taking part in every
decision about your health care. Research shows that patients who are more
involved with their care tend to get better results. Some specific tips, based
on the latest scientific evidence about what works best, follow:
2. Make sure that all of your doctors know about
everything you are taking. This includes prescription and over-the-counter
medicines, and dietary supplements such as vitamins and herbs.
At least once a year, bring all of your
medicines and supplements with you to your doctor. "Brown bagging"
your medicines can help you and your doctor talk about them and find out if
there are any problems. It can also help your doctor keep your records up to
date, which can help you get better quality care.
This can help you avoid getting a
medicine that can harm you.
4. When your doctor
writes you a prescription, make sure you can read it.
If you can’t read your doctor’s
handwriting, your pharmacist might not be able to either.
5. Ask for information
about your medicines in terms you can understand - both when your medicines are
prescribed and when you receive them.
What is the medicine for?
How am I supposed to take it, and for how
long?
What side effects are likely? What do I do
if they occur?
Is this medicine safe to take with other
medicines or dietary supplements I am taking ?
What food, drink or activities should I
avoid while taking this medicine?
6. When you pick up your
medicine from the pharmacy, ask: Is this the medicine that my doctor prescribed?
A study by the Massachusetts College of
Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences found that 88% of medicine errors involved
the wrong drug or the wrong dose.
7. If you have any
questions about the directions on your medicine labels, ask.
Medicine labels can be hard to
understand. For example, ask if "four doses daily" means taking a dose
every 6 hours around the clock or just during regular waking hours.
8. Ask your pharmacist
for the best device to measure your liquid medicines. Also, ask questions if
you’re not sure how to use it.
Research shows that many people do not
understand the right way to measure liquid medicines. For example, many use
household teaspoons, which often do not hold a true teaspoon of liquid. Special
devices, like marked syringes, help people to measure the right dose. Being told
how to use the devices helps even more.
9. Ask for written
information about the side effects your medicine could cause.
10. If you have a
choice, choose a hospital at which many patients have the procedure or surgery
you need.
Research shows that patients tend to
have better results when they are treated in hospitals that have a great deal of
experience with their condition.
11. If you are in a
hospital, consider asking all health care workers who have direct contact with
you whether they have washed their hands.
12. When you are
being discharged from the hospital, ask your doctor to explain the treatment
plan you will use at home.
This includes learning about your
medicines and finding out when you can get back to your regular activities.
Research shows that at discharge time, doctors think that their patients
understand more than they really do about what they should or should not do when
they return home.
13. If you are having
surgery, make sure that you, your doctor, and your surgeon all agree and are
clear on exactly what will be done.
Doing surgery at the wrong site (for
example, operating on the left knee instead of the right is rare. But even once
is too often. The good news is that wrong-site surgery is 100 percent
preventable. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons urges its members to
sign their initials directly on the site to be operated on before the surgery.
14. Speak up if you have
questions or concerns.
You have the right to question anyone
who is involved with your care.
15. Make sure that
someone, such as your personal doctor, is in charge of your care.
This is especially important if you have many health problems or are in a
hospital.
16. Make sure that
all health professionals involved in your care have important health information
about you.
Do not assume that everyone knows
everything they need to.
17. Ask a family member
or friend to be there with you and to be your advocate (someone who can help get
things done and speak up for you if you can’t.)
Even if you think you don’t need help
now, you might need it later.
18. Know that
"more" is not always better.
It is a good idea to find out why a test or
treatment is needed and how it can help you. You could be better off without it.
19. If you have a test,
don’t assure that no news is good news.
Ask about the results.
20. Learn about your condition and
treatments by asking your doctor and nurse and by using other reliable sources.
For example, treatment recommendations based
on the latest scientific evidence are available from the National Guidelines
Clearinghouse at http://www.guideline.gov
Ask your doctor if your treatment is based on the latest evidence.
FMI:
Agency for Health Care Research and Quality
6011 Executive Blvd. , Suite 200
Rockville, MD. 20852
(301) 594-1783
The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality
(301) 594-7183
Researching Medical
Conditions
National Institutes of Health
www.nih.gov/health/
Centers for Disease Control
www.cdc.gov/health/disease.htm
"Whether you are a provider or
the patient, effective communication is a key to better health care. Patients,
ask questions. Providers, take the time to answer the questions and the concerns
of your patients."
For a Printed Newsletter
Send a S.A.S.E. to:
Voice4Patients.Com
PO BOX 273
Warren, Maine 04864
(207) 273-4915
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