Which Hospital Is the
Right One for You?
 |
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When it
comes to
choosing
a
hospital,
most
patients
default
to their
doctors
or
surgeons’
preferences
instead
of
intentionally
making
their
own
choice.
That can
be
foolhardy.
Hospitals
are
dangerous
places.
From
infections
that
can’t be
cured or
beaten,
to
surgery
mistakes,
to drug
errors
and
more,
patients
are at
grave
risk.
Some are
so
problematic
that
Medicare
refuses
to pay
for any
treatment
that
becomes
necessary
due to,
what it
calls,
these
“never
events.”
Yet
patients
continue
to get
sicker
and die
during
hospital
stays,
not from
the
reason
they
were
admitted;
rather,
from
some
problem
that
developed
during
their
stay.
Why
shouldn’t
we rely
on our
doctors
or
surgeons
to
choose
the best
hospital
for us?
Because
each has
agreements,
called
admitting
privileges,
with
only one
or two
hospitals.
They
didn’t
sign
those
contracts
with
patient
safety
in mind,
and they
don’t
have the
option
of
treating
us in
another
hospital
that may
be
safer.
One way
we can
protect
ourselves
is by
doing
some
homework.
Easily
accessible
resources
can
provide
background
on
everything
from a
hospital’s
safety
record,
to its
focus on
communications,
even how
well it
keeps
patients
comfortable
when
they are
in pain.
Perhaps
you
anticipate
heart
surgery,
or may
need a
knee or
hip
replaced,
or know
you
might be
sick
enough
to need
hospitalization
soon. If
so,
determine
which
hospitals
are
safest
first,
then
phone
them for
names of
doctors
who have
admitting
privileges.
Of
course,
you’ll
still
want to
research
the
track
records
of those
doctors
as part
of your
due
diligence,
too.
Even if
you
don’t
expect
to be
hospitalized,
it’s
smart to
know
what
your
local
hospitals’
strengths
and
weaknesses
are. You
never
know
when
some
event
will
trigger
a trip
to an
emergency
room.
Unfortunately,
emergencies
often
result
in
hospital
admissions.
So check
out the
possibilities
right
away.
Fancy TV
commercials,
glossy
ads, and
prestigious-sounding
awards
don’t
provide
us with
the
information
we need
about
patient
safety
and
experiences.
The best
resource
for
objective
information
is
called
Hospital
Compare.
Maintained
by the
US
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services,
it can
be found
at:
http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/.
If you
don’t
use the
Internet
yourself,
ask a
friend
or loved
one to
help, or
go to
your
local
library
for
assistance.
Checking
up on
hospitals
before
you
actually
need one
will
give you
a head
start on
staying
safe.
|
...............................
Learn
more
about
choosing
the best
hospital
for you,
including
additional
resources. |
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|
Trisha Torrey
is the author of
You
Bet Your Life!
The 10 Mistakes
Every Patient Makes
(How to Fix Them
to Get the
Health Care You Deserve)
It expands on the
articles found
on this site, providing
an
exposé of the problems
that
exist in the healthcare
system,
and tools you can use to
get the care you
deserve.
....
Learn more about
You Bet Your Life!
........................
Do
you need help with your
medical care, hospital
stay, insurance or
healthcare bills?
A patient advocate may
be able to help.
Advocates and patient
navigators
are ready to help you at
AdvoConnection.
Search for the help you
need
at no cost to you. |
