LAST week I wrote about keeping a file for all your medical records, and bringing the latest readings with you at the next appointment, especially when a new doctor reviews your case.
Why should we do that? Wouldn’t the hospital already have a file on you or your loved one? Why lug around more things when you already have your hands full?
In my experience, hospitals can lose your file. It happened to me twice! It was a good thing I had kept a file on my son since Day 1, and could help rebuild his hospital file.
There’s another excellent reason to have your own file too. According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, medical error is the third leading cause of death, behind cancer and heart disease in the US.
They recommend that patients and their caregivers do their part to help their medical team avoid some of the most common mistakes.
In the years that I’ve been a caregiver, and from other people’s experiences with hospitals, I certainly feel as though I have lived half my life in them.
So much happens during a hospital stay that you can be sure someone has at least one story to tell. And quite often, they are quite happy to give that hospital a certain rating.
When my daughter was hospitalised for a fractured cheekbone, she came away with only positive stories to tell — kind nurses, nice doctors, great food and a room that felt like a hotel room. She was quite sad her stay wasn’t longer than two nights. She is among the lucky few with such a good experience.
Some people have had terrible experiences, and some, somewhere between the best and worst, at the same hospital.
Like a lot of things in life, you must learn to manage your situation and practise damage control, especially when you or your loved one needs to be under the doctor’s care or when hospitalised. Things can go wrong; mistakes happen.
Here are some ways you can take charge of your own case and work closely with your doctor.
Know your medications. Know them by name, dosage, shape and colour. These days you can take photos of your medications one by one and file them in your photo album on your smartphone. Getting the wrong drug, dosage or amount can be quite serious.
Some medications are very powerful and it can be tricky for doctors to work out a dose that’s both safe and effective.
I remember feeling quite bemused when doctors used their calculators to work out the dosage for my son’s needs based on age and bodyweight, how it should be tapered up from low to the highest dose across a certain period of time, and then the step-down dosage. Yes, it had to be done correctly, especially when he was still a baby.
My son’s doctors encouraged me to take notes and ask questions to make sure I understood what was going on. Sometimes a new drug or an improved version of the last one was available. It helps if you pay attention to the details.
Over the years, all the doctors I’ve come across cautioned us about taking antibiotics. While you need them in some instances to fight infections, you wouldn’t want to take them too often. Antibiotics are meant for infections caused by bacteria so they won’t help the common cold, flu or anything caused by a virus. You’d need antibiotics for the right reason, the right type and the correct dose. Don’t simply ask for it if you don’t need it.
When you’re hospitalised, stay for the duration recommended by the doctor. Don’t try to be too macho and cut short your stay, especially after surgery. By the same token, you don’t want to stay for too long either.
I remember the time when my mum recovered from her diabetic coma after being hospitalised for nearly two months, and spending most of the time in ICU. When she no longer needed critical care, she was moved to a normal ward. Then the doctor said she was ready to go home. We remember panicking because we felt that she still needed constant nursing care.
The doctor told us that staying longer in the hospital could expose her to higher rates of infection. She’d be better off recuperating at home with the assistance of private nurses. The thought of another long stay at the hospital or the ICU was sufficient impetus for us.
How else can you take charge? You may be seeing a few doctors to take care of you. Tell all of them about the medications you’re on and
what you’re allergic to as well, several times if necessary, especially if you have to be admitted. Make sure the nurses know too.
It may be a good idea to write these down and have a few copies prepared and given to your loved ones and caregivers. There may come a time when you’re not able to speak for yourself. Your notes will be the only thing they can refer to.
The views expressed here are entirely from the writer’s own experience and observations.
**The article above was brought to you by AmMetLife Insurance Bhd