The Nurses Corner
Member Username: Lynn_rn
Post Number: 1 Registered: 01-2010
| Posted on Saturday, January 09, 2010 - 12:52 pm: |
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Hello, My name is Lynn Parker I am a Nurse a Nurse Practitioner, Patient Advocate and Author of What Did the Doctor Just Say? How to Understand What Your Doctor Is Saying and Prevent Medical Errors From Happening to You and Your Loved Ones (WDTDJS) Hostess Rise invited me to post on the site in an area she felt would be helpful to all of the site members, and that topic is the prevention of medical errors As you may know medical errors take over 100,000 lives per year (536 lives per day) medications errors alone hurt 1.5 million Americans annually. Statically each one of us has a one in four or 25% chance of falling victim to a medical error every time we enter the healthcare system. In fact many of you or someone you know has experienced an error that has somehow changed your life. It is estimated that up to 80% of medical errors could be prevented by improving communication between doctors and patients. But what happens if your doctor will not listen to you and you cannot communicate with him? That's a question I am asked all the time. Patients tell me that their doctors are rushed, eager to write a prescription and annoyed by questions. In What Did the Doctor Just Say? I give readers 3 steps that encourage doctors to listen and to take the time needed to answer questions in a manner that provides you with fully informed consent before making any healthcare decision Step One: DeBunk the Myth that the Doctor Is a god and You are Lesser Than Him. You Must Adjust Your Attitude If you believe the doctor is a higher being you will be meek and mild, you will submit to being dismissed because you feel you are wrong or annoying for even asking a question about your life and your health. The Dr is god is a very harmful myth and is responsible for a great many medical errors because patients don't feel free to speak and offer information or to get information. If that type of information were freely exchanged it is estimated that up to 80% of medical errors could be prevented. The best way to begin the conversation with a doctor is with the knowledge that the Dr. is your employee. That's right the Dr. works for you and is paid by your insurance dollars. Healthcare providers are facilitators for you to get the best care possible, not gods. Step Two: Prepare for the Visit In WDTDJS I supply worksheets that you can complete with the information you prepare for your visit. Some of the most important information you can share is a detailed description of your complaints including; Onset, Location, Duration, Characteristics, Aggravating Factors, Reliving Factors and Severity. These are the 9 questions doctors ask (or should ask) about all of your complaints. When did it start, where does it hurt, how long did it last, what did it feel like, what makes it worse, what makes it better, and how bad was it on a scale of 1-10 The following example answers each of the above as they relate to a stomachache Ex: “The pain started two nights ago. I ate food that had been left on the stove for about 36 hours and began having stomach cramps that were pretty constant and very painful six hours later. Then, I had eight very loose and watery stools over a 24-hour period. I did not have a fever or vomiting. I was not able to work because of the pain in my stomach was an 8-10 on the pain scale.” When you come prepared to speak in the OLDCARTS format doctors are more likely to engage with you, to be interested in what you are saying and they are able to get information quickly which will cut down on their impatience and give them more time to answer your questions. Coming prepared with your symptoms also helps the provider to diagnosis your properly, this is very important as 40% of medical diagnosis are wrong!!! Also when patients speak in this manner it gets the doctors respect and they know you know something and they had better pay attention to you. Step Three: Again in WDTDJS I supply you with a list of questions you will want to ask any provider you see to get fully informed consent about tests, medications and procedures. Come prepared with your questions, this will help the doctor to use his or her time better and cut down on their impatience with questions. Once your questions are written down there may be a nurse, nurse practitioner or nursing educator who would be more than qualified to answer your questions and able to give you more time and refer you to any resources you may need to learn more. Finally, let the physician know you are making their answers part of your personal healthcare record and that you will be showing their answers to consultants, second opinions, family members and friends. When the doctor knows you are recording and documenting their responses they will be encouraged to answer your questions fully and honestly because we all know any document can be shown to a lawyer for later review. If these measures do not work and you cannot get your questions answered you should FIRE your doctor and hire one who will respect his boss, that's YOU the paying customer. A doctor who doesn't listen increases your chances of being hurt by a medical error by up to 80%. A provider like that has no place on YOUR Healthcare Team I hope this helps Lynn R. Parker, RN, NP Author of: What Did the Doctor Just Say: How to Understand What Your Doctor Is Saying and Prevent Medical Errors From Happening to You and Your Loved Ones Which can be found on Amazon.com or iUniverse.com for $6.00 Please Follow me on FaceBook on the What Did the Doctor Just Say? FanPage Read my Updates on http://www.whatdidthedoctorjustsay.blogspot.com and you can find me on Twitter at: IHaveTheAnswers http://tinyurl.com/yd65l7d, |