Hospitals May Be Hazardous to Your Health

Do you know our big, complex, modern health care system can sometimes make you sickler? Believe it or not, it’s the terrifying truth!

The numbers are frightening – more than 100,000 people a year are dying from medical errors and millions are being injured. From ERs to operating rooms, even well-baby nurseries, the figures are comparable.

Common medical mistakes ranges from surgery on wrong patient or wrong body part, surgical materials left in a patient, artificial insemination with the wrong sperm or egg, harm from malfunctioning equipment, getting your medication late, getting someone’s else medications….the list goes on and on.

Why Are Hospitals So Risky?

Hospitals have always been dangerous places but there’s now a perfect storm for factors that is putting too many patients at risk. These include:

• 1.       Hospitals acquired infections are now on the rise – The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria like methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has transformed hospital-acquired infections from manageable risks to major killers. More than 1.7millions patients are affected yearly and more than 99,000 of them die.

• 2.       Nurses are spread too thin – People are likely to make mistakes when they are multitasking, distracted, and tired – and the sad reality is that, nurses today are always in that situation. The high turnover and vacancy rates in nursing mean you’re more likely than ever to have an overstretched nurse at the other end of the call button attending to you.

• 3.       Doctors are working shorter shifts – Studies have found that patients are 5 times more likely to have an “adverse event” – any injury caused by medical care – when covered by a doctor who didn’t know them.

Is there a way out of this? Sure! Below are 5 simple ways you can protect yourself during your 3 points of vulnerability – at the hospital, your doctor’s office, and the drug store:

• 1.       Look for the right hospital. If your child needs a procedure, seek out a children’s hospital or one that have a dedicated children unit. In a truly dedicated children’s hospital or department, there won’t be potential dangers like adult medications and adult devices around. When kids and adults are together, the chances of mix-up of the two goes up. Besides, in a kid specific facility, it’s more likely that a whole team – surgeons, anesthetists and nurses – will be trained in the unique challenges of pediatric care. The same principle applies to other special care you might require.

• 2.       Is it high tech. Look for a hospital that is investing in technology that cuts errors such as the use of a CPOE – Computerized Physician Order Entry – system, which reduce drug errors; bar code on drugs to lower dispensing mistakes; smart IV pumps for delivering intravenous medications accurately; and “smart monitoring”, a computer that alert staff when help is needed.

• 3.       Do backgrounds check. Find out what your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors think of area hospitals.

• 4.       Be friendly – but not too friendly. Stay congenial with the hospital staff, but save the chitchat until after the staff have administered your medications or checked your vitals. Even little interruptions can be distracting enough to cause a slipup.

• 5.       Insist on hand washing. It’s a must before any provider puts in or removes an IV or a catheter, gives you medication, or changes a dressing. Before you are touched, the first question should be, “Did you washed your hands?”

• 6.       Ask questions. Anytime something is being done for you – a nurse hanging medication (for an IV), an orderly wheeling you out for a test – you should understand why. If you don’t, ask to speak with a physician.

• 7.       Ask for a relative to be with you. One simple way to lower your risk of medical errors is to bring a family member or friend with you, to the hospital, to act as your advocate. NEVER! NEVER! go into the hospital, even for a minor procedure, alone.

In case of an error was committed in your medical management, steps you can take include:

Start making your own notes – Write down everything, including dates, procedures, medications, and the names of health-care officers who cared for you. If you opt to sue, your own record may be an effective tool against the usual vague notations in most patients’ charts. You should start this from your first day in the hospital – whether in the doctor’s office or on admission; not that you are envisaging that an error will occur but……just in case.

Ask questions - In the real world, you should get prompt explanation from the medical team in charge of your care but if nobody is talking to you, you should ask what happened.

Speak to a higher-up – If you don’t get a satisfactory answer from the physician, talk a person at a higher level the pecking order; preferably the consultant in charge of the unit you were admitted.

Get a copy of you medical records – It’s your right! There is always a protocol for it, never hesitate to follow it.

File a complaint – If you not satisfied, complain to your state or local health authority or the regulatory authority concerned.

Consult a lawyer – If you don’t get an acceptable answer from the hospital or the regulatory body, you can consult a lawyer. If you decide to sue, a good medical-malpractice attorney can help you navigate the complex world of medical laws.

You should do this not because you are being vindictive or get someone punished but because you are trying to prevent the same error occurring to another person and this is the best way you can do that.