Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
SUSAN ASCHOFFA registered nurse has written the book on ways patients and their loved ones can avoid health care complications that could result in injury or death.
Thomas A. Sharon, a registered nurse from Hollywood, Fla., who works as a full-time consultant in malpractice lawsuits, wants to empower patients not only to get well but stay safe while in the hospital. In his book, Protect Yourself in the Hospital (Contemporary Books, $12.95), Sharon says recognizing situations that can cause problems is the best defense against neglect, injury, accidents and even death while hospitalized. The St. Petersburg Times talked to Sharon about what patients and their family members can do, whether in the hospital for a medical emergency or checking in for childbirth, to get the best care.
Why did you write this book? The title sounds a bit sensationalistic: Scare 'em into buying.
The original title was a lot scarier. It was Hospital Hazards and Horrors. The editor knocked that down right away. My purpose is to educate, not to scare people. People don't want to face this kind of reality because it's about helplessness and fear. People have to put themselves under the control of others (in a hospital). So the idea of the book is that knowledge is power.
People want to trust their caregivers. How has that relationship changed?
The health care system is made up of the best kind of people and the worst kind of people, just like everywhere else. Things have shifted. Relationships with doctors and hospitals are much more businesslike. Even hospitals (that are) charitable organizations have been replaced by a corporate culture and more profit motivation. It is not inherently evil - there are honorable ways to make profits - but what is missing is accountability.
How do patients assert themselves without ticking people off?
I've got a special chapter devoted to that. People need a buffer to protect their ego. Avoid putting the nurse, for example, on the defensive. Questions such as, how did this happen, are translated as placing blame. Even if you know something is going on (that) you don't like and is inevitably harmful, you want to just identify what you're concerned about without placing blame. Mention something that shows you understand: I know you're overworked. I know you have 40 other patients to take care of. But . . .
Same with doctors?
Yes. Say, "I'd like to get your attention." You will most often find a willing listener if you don't attack the person.
In the book you suggest grilling the anesthesiologist and even putting a piece of paper on his outstretched hand to see if it shakes. Who would dare do that?
That's an attention-getter. You don't want an anesthesiologist who has a drinking problem, who is unsure of himself, who looks a little shaky. Most people would be too embarrassed to put a piece of paper on his hand. But he's the guy who makes sure your brain gets oxygen. He's more important than the doctor.
I like the section called, "How to get the staff to listen to you." You talk about our public image in the hospital. Can you elaborate?
Staff members talk about you. They gossip about the patients and compare notes - this woman is really nasty; this guy is a real wimp. I think the patient should be conscious he's onstage.
If a loved one is in the hospital, should someone stay with them 'round the clock?
Depends on the circumstances. The way to gauge that is to take a look at the nurse-patient ratio. It's really hard to know how many nurses should be on a particular floor, but go to the nursing office and find out how many beds are on a floor and how many beds have patients. The most vulnerable times are the night shift, holidays and weekends. More and more, family members may need to maintain a vigil over the patient, especially if the family member is pretty sick. Maybe not 24/7, but at those vulnerable times.
Where are good places to check for information, hospital ratings and such?
Every hospital has a quality improvement program, but it rarely includes the patients or patients' family members. They need to have patients involved in the quality process. Medicare.org has information on nursing homes. Organizations like Healthcare Watch in (Washington) D.C. are good. Or use a search engine on the Web and punch in key words like "health care consumer advocacy groups."
You advise people to keep a daily log. Is that strictly in case of trouble, or is it useful in other ways?
In case of complications, a daily log is a good tool. Jot down a couple of things in case you have to remember what transpired. Once staff sees that patients are more in the know, they're going to be more careful in their performance. Write down who comes into your room. Look at their name tags. Why are they in your room? If a doctor comes in to explain your condition, take notes.
What's the good news about hospital care?
The 100,000 deaths a year occurring from mistakes and mishaps is a very small percentage of the people who go through hospitals. I don't know if that's good news. There is a risk. The potential good news is that once you know what the pitfalls are, then it doesn't happen to you. Any person (who educates) himself can stop things from happening.