I recently read a hospital's article about the 6 things they wished patients knew. So here's my take on the 6 things I wish hospitals knew.
1. Don't change my medication without telling me: This is non-negotiable. You should never swap a patient's regular medication for anything else without talking to the patient. I'm sorry some professor in college told you all medication is the same if the active ingredient is the same. They LIED. It's not the same by a long shot. You could easily be exposing them to an allergen or interaction. You're not a pharmacist so don't try to be. I'm on my medications for a reason. If you don't dispense a particular medicine tell me and I will have my husband bring it. I've had plenty of meltdowns because of this very situation. Imagine someone forces you to take an hour long detour each day. You'd have a meltdown or two right? Well swapping my medications without talking to me is no different.
2. Allergy contamination and safety should be a top priority: I've been given food I'm allergic to so many times in hospitals I've given up complaining about it. It's such a standard procedure my family brings me food rather than have me eat the hospital food. I've even been given a fruit cocktail cup in apple juice after being admitted for a reaction to apples. The nurses even knew it had apple in it! Yet no one takes responsibility for these mistakes. Step up and make your food safe. Allergy safety is as vital as sanitation. Anaphylaxis can kill.
3. No means no: I'm not sure what's unclear about this however I inevitably end up having to say no to some nurse or doctor. I am NOT a guinea pig or dartboard. I shouldn't be treated like one. You are there to give me the facts and let me decide. Not to try and pressure me into tests or treatments I'm uncomfortable with or think aren't necessary.
4. Don't harass my service animal : Again this should be common sense but it's not. Please ask before petting or engaging the dog. You're distracting my dog while he's trying to work. No you can't arbitrarily kick my service dog out of the exam room. No you can't kick him out for barking to inform me of a noise since that's his training. If you don't like it well too bad. Deal with it. My service dog and I have rights. Respect them.
5. Understand what leaving AMA really means : I finally left AMA not that long ago. I was warned my insurance wouldn't cover the visit to the hospital and so forth. The doctor did her best to blackmail me to stay. It's a common tactic among doctors and even some nurses. There's just one hitch, it's bull. Almost all insurances say that if the treatment given was medically necessary it's covered. It has nothing to do with whether or not you decide to go AMA or not, the treatment can still be covered. Using scare tactics like this are what make hospitals the bad guys especially doctors. Respect and understand my rights as a patient to leave AMA if I think it's the right move for me medically.
6. Interpreters are NOT optional : In this day and age of technology there is no reason a hospital shouldn't have some form of access to ASL interpretation. Court cases have been waged over this very issue. Guess what hospitals? You are required to provide understandable communication. Several court cases have ruled writing notes, lip reading, and uncertified interpretation are illegal. Yes it's illegal to ask my spouse to interpret end of story. Yes it's illegal to ask me to write back and forth or to read your lips. Yes it's very, very illegal to have one of your doctors try to interpret if they're not certified. I have the right to access to communication so provide it. End of story.
So those are the 6 things I'd like hospitals to know from a patient.
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