Doctors today contend with significant time pressures. The economics of providing care limit the amount of time a doctor can spend with each patient. Some doctors may even have quotas for the number of patients seen in a day. Plus, doctors—particularly front-line providers—may see patients with a wide array of health conditions. The need to have answers to such a broad range of medical complaints can take a toll.
Sadly, those features of 21st medicine do not seem destined to change anytime soon.
To protect yourself against errors made by tired, stressed-out medical professionals, you may:
Schedule appointments first thing in the morning, when a doctor is most likely to be well-rested and on-schedule.
Make sure every doctor you see has a list of the medications and supplements that you are currently taking.
Request that your doctor provides to you, in language you can understand, written information about your conditions, the medications you are taking for those conditions, and the possible side effects and interactions of that medication.
Bring a friend or family member to your doctor’s appointment to assist in asking questions and ensuring that you understand the information you receive.
If you are hospitalized, make sure that all of the health care staff that touches you has washed their hands. While that seems like a rude thing to ask, infections can transmit deadly infections, and improper handwashing is a major contributor to health-associated infections.
Be sure, before you are discharged from the hospital, your doctor has provided you with detailed instructions on how you should treat your wound or illness at home. If you are unclear about anything discussed in your after-care instructions, be sure to ask for—and receive—clarification before leaving.
If you have surgery, be sure before the procedure is performed that you, your doctor, and the surgeon are all in agreement about what is going to be done and to which body part. Though rare, wrong-site surgery does happen and it is generally a result in a lapse in communication between providers.