Health Care Survival Kit

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	Physician Survival Kit
	Hospital Survival Kit

Physician Survival Kit

Check up on your Doctor

We start checking on a doctor by going to the American Medical Association's Doctor-Finder. There, we can learn the doctor's specialty, education, and board certification. However, we do NOT learn of medical malpractice claims or disciplinary actions.

Two new companies, Health Care Choices and HealthGrades.com, have worked to simplify the search procedure. Health Care Choices is a non-profit organization that attempts to simplify searches into the background of a health care provider. HealthGrades is a private company that simplifies searches. It offers report cards on doctors, hospitals, health plans, and nursing homes. While searches require specific information (formal name of practice), it is about the best search portal we have found.

Hospital Survival Kit

Check on your Hospital

Your doctor tells you that you need surgery. As soon as the shock wears off, you must become your own best advocate and quickly learn how to negotiate your way through the questions and concerns critical to making a prudent health care choice.

To check up on your institution's accreditation, check the site of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The Commission is the nation's leading health care quality evaluator and accredits more than 19,500 health care organizations and programs. Its Quality Assurance service allows you to "check up" on the performance of your local health care facility, whether it's a hospital, surgery center, or nursing home. Accreditation is not, however, an assurance of quality.

As with the purchase of any new product, the informed consumer is best equipped to make the right decisions, both short- and long-term. Statistics show that most Americans spend more time planning a vacation than they do considering and planning their health care. Hospitalization is always filled with new and disorienting experiences. It is a serious matter and therefore requires your utmost attention.

It is a good idea to carefully and deliberately proceed through these steps in planning your surgery and avoiding prolonged hospitalization.

Get a second opinion. Many insurance plans today require this, but, even if your insurance policy does not require it, consult a second physician before having surgery.

Involve a partner in your decision-making. The value of a second pair of eyes cannot be over-emphasized and will give you a far greater sense of comfort knowing you're a team working together to restore your health. For most people, the hospital is a foreign and unfriendly place, so a partner will buffer and reduce the fear and anxiety you face.

Get more facts. Where will the surgery be done? How much experience does your doctor have with this procedure?

Is the procedure FDA approved? Surgeries without FDA approval are considered experimental and results are less certain.

Ask about the hospital's nurses and staff associated with your daily care. Their skills and credentials could affect your recovery.

Get to know your hospital's "Patient Bill of Rights". This document is a specific contract listing the patient's rights in reference to many aspects of such care as confidentiality, safety, access to care, communications, and hospital rules and regulations.

Do you have a living will or health care power of attorney? If not, this is the time to get one.

Prepare for a blood donation. While community blood banks test donated blood for AIDS and other major diseases, it nevertheless is safest for you to donate your own blood ahead of time so that your own blood will be available in the event that you need a transfusion. You can have your own blood drawn as little as 72 hours before surgery.

Ensure that your primary care physician is aware of all the medications you are taking. Medications can have a synergistic effect when blended together, so be sure to disclose every drug, whether over-the-counter or prescription. As one example, the anti-clotting effect of one daily aspirin can last for several days and can alter your ability to stop bleeding during and after a surgical procedure.

Notify your insurance company well in advance of the scheduled date for surgery. Never assume that your physician's staff has pre-approved the surgery.

But what about an emergency admission or an unexpected crisis? It is best to be prepared by having a living will or health care power of attorney. Your spouse, physician, attorney, and children should all have copies.

Start a medical journal today listing:

Height & Weight

Allergies

Past surgeries & hospitalizations

Disclaimer: Kathleen Mezher & Associates, LLC provide the information in this web site for informational purposes only. The Information does not constitute legal advice. The use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please contact us if you wish to discuss your matter. The laws governing legal advertisement in the state of Ohio require the following statement: "THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT"

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