How Hospitals Can Be Nice to Patients

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As I sit here just hours away from 2009, I still consider myself very blessed. Was it because my decision to use an extremely top rated hospital was also very nice in many areas of there vast assortment of services available? I'm truly sorry to say no and consider my own judgement very fair as for my own professionalism in one industry for over thirty years should be highly visable.
It may be hard to admit the actual fact that the nice party involved in this issue has been me as for the last seven years I've suffered in such numerous ways and still keep the heart of the matter to the side as I leave it in God's hands to help. Does God determine how earth is to be on venues of naughty or nice? Sorry but I can't answer that one. Yes, I have suffered for over 2,000 days in a row as a victim of the iatrogenic chronic illness called CENTRAL PONTINE MYELINOLYSIS, a neuromuscular disorder thats information has been somewhat difficult to access for the public over the last "50 Years."
I must leave it like this. My seven year investment in this matter as I've done everything from personally researching the issues to going to three United States Senate Offices meeting with senior health staff officials in regard to my own issues to my status with CPM. OK, it's getting a bit rough to coninue as my hands and fingers are starting to go every which way. I may be wrong in not taking a more forceful stand all these years but after all, "I am a NICE guy." G-d Bless and a Healthy Happy New Year to you as well as all who have been there for you....
Franky and Breeze... (~8

WhataBreeze of MO 7:44PM December 31, 2008

I find it interesting that the quality columnist makes no note of the outcomes of these three surgeries. For those of us on the inside, this dynamic is familiar--the closer you are to the patient (or if you are the patient yourself) the more likely you are to invest significance in the variances in service and communication you experience and immediately make the anxious (but often groundless) leap to concerns on quality and outcomes.
But this is the rub, and your conclusion is still apt. Hospitals often fail to make clear its practioners that this dynamic--strangely, easily understood and easily forgotten!--can be solved with regimentation of approach--including what to say, when to say it, and what to do--with the courtesies, not just the time-outs to prevent wrong-site, wrong side surgery.

RTL of PA 10:15AM December 31, 2008

Good article. We as an industry have a long ways to go to provide excelllent customer service. This in part is because we
are still a "cottage" industry made up largely on independent smalll or medium-sized hospitals. Further, we relie on a largely independent medical staff to work with for their business. The practice of hospital care really hasn't changed much in the 30 years I have been in Administration. Aministrators still do their best to meet the needs of doctors to get their business. The customer in many cases is really the doctor......not the patient. It is the doctor in many cases that decides where he or she will dosurgery...........not the patient.
I think until hospitals are large corporations and doctors are really accountable to their employer, i.e., hospitals, things will only modestly improve. Hospitals nor doctors like to be told what to do.
Case in point: Look what AMA recently did. They oppose a new standard from the Joint Commission on Physician Behavior. That is a sad commentary on the health care system.

Lee of MI 4:32PM December 30, 2008

A.C. my friend, I know a psychologist who has a small room he uses to allow certain patients to vent frustrations with the addition to a baseball bat along with unique hanging ornament style pieces built to accept the abuse there going to need to withstand at some point during the session. Now getting back to reality, after reading your personal thoughts in regard to your wife, tell me if again we are not going directly back into the "World of Marketing." This subject truly saddens me personally to a point beyond return. I'm going to officially postpone my comment at this time as I'm just not up to it yet. As I've stated many a time in the last six years about being diagnosed almost eighteen months late to my "CENTRAL PONTINE MYELINOLYSIS," or whatevever the fine wizards would prefer to call it as it's been renamed many times in the "LAST FIFTY YEARS," for reasons that are only known an accepted by those in an area of this field that let's just say protective for the time being. an iatrogenic neuromuscular disease that has no cure and very few physicians who claim to even have any experience or knowledge for my care or assistance. A.C., I actually consider myself very blessed. When I first realized what I was up against I suddenly felt as I had become a world wide authority in regard to my illness. But then the facts that "All the nice hospitals were willing to continue the game of hide and seek," with me added a new set directive that through me off course.
To some this may sound or appear to be a wild goose chase. On the other hand, those who happen to be on the same ride but a different place and different horse you can appreciate exactly what I'm saying. A.C., I want you to know that you and the balance of your colleagues have given me the lift needed to get back up to continue the work needed not only for me but also those all over the world who cry out for the help needed.
Because of you A.C. and U.S. News and World Report, I'm back out there again helping others as I now have been communicating through your online periodical just as I use to on BrainTalk. I found it quite unique that my newest CPM victim in need happens to be from India. We all should have God on our side as the gates of 2009 open. G-d Bless...
Franky and WhataBreeze, (~8

Franky & Breeze... of MO 7:19PM December 29, 2008

Almost 2yrs ago I had a hysterectomy at a renouned L.I. hospital & ended up with 7 infections, almost died and then was treated horribly by some of the staff because the charge nurse in my area didn't like me. Other staff members saw what was happening but did nothing...the Head Nurse NEVER came around even though numerous patients were staying longer than they were supposed to on the SURGERY FLOOR. I could not believe that most of the staff did not wash their hands or use the Prell or WEAR GLOVES. Who is to blame? This industry is, I find, the same as many others...MANAGEMENT SIT ON THEIR BUTTS & DO NOTHING TO CHECK WHY SITUATIONS ARE HAPPENING, and then THEY ARE AFRAID THEY WILL HAVE A LAWSUIT ON THEIR HANDS BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOWERED THE BAR SO MUCH THAT THE EMPLOYEES BALK AT DOING THEIR JOBS...People use to value having jobs, Companies use to value their employees! If MANAGEMENT WOULD GET OUT OF THEIR LEISURE SUITS & HIT THE TILES OR RUGS, IN NON-SEQUENTIAL TURNS, AND SAY HELLO, THE EMPLOYEES WOULD COME OUT OF THEIR COCOONS & FUNCTION...PLUS, MANAGEMENT REPRIMAND everyone for the few..If only all PROMOTIONS FROM WITHIN came with management training, wouldn't the USA be a better place to work...Why not test before promoting, and periodically afterward as well. THE ICING ON THE CAKE...in Healthcare anyway, is that if Management would RAISE THE BAR FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, they would get better pay and/or benefits from the minimized lawsuits that now strangle them...Other industries are in the line of fire as BABY BOOMERS are being displaced without enough cashflow to continue their lifestyles...Had the market not tanked, BABY BOOMERS would probably have been satisfied to just fade into retirement. The new world is coming...everyone wanted change...I heard the more things change, the more they stay the same...Imagine, I had the audacity to tell my doctor how upset I was that the staff wasn't wearing gloves, which she told to them, but it did not change anything...The NURSE'S AIDE took my roommate's bedpan & flushed it into the toilet, gave it back to my roommate and left the room...SHE DID NOT WASH HER HANDS OR THE BEDPAN, USE THE PRELL ON THE WALL, OR WEAR GLOVES...and had very long finger nails and wore lots of jewelry...YOU would think she would have thought about her own safety and the safety of her family as well...I will never go back to that hospital again & I expect to get a nice settlement from my case...

of NY 8:23PM December 28, 2008

Hospitals work as familiars not haired by knowledge. It's too hard, after all family collect or work one place, they are supporting each other not really concentrate for patient. They look work as friendlily not as work team. No one touch one to others because they have to respect even if there is any mistake for him. So far if hospital starting haired by knowledge and by experience may the problem could be solving. Other wise if they work as family any one makes any mistakes them try to cover each other any things.

Feyisa of MN 1:16AM December 28, 2008

In the past few years I have had to have several surgeries--the last one I wound up calling the charge nurse and complaining because of the rude care I had received. there is only one hospital in the city (of about 65,000)--the two hospitals merged several years ago. So much for the idea that competition doesn't improve health care.
I remember looking at the cheap tray latches on a discount airline, and thinking "I wonder if they use this quality of parts all the way through?" It does make a difference--and, like the restaurant with lots of atmosphere and lousy food, looks alone don't cut it.
This is called the art of medicine--with all the emphasis on the science of medicine and evidence based medicine, it has been forgotten. One of the reasons is that physicians, who traditionally had the authority to call hospital workers on their lack of care, now have been reduced to "providers" and are frequently employees who answer to nonphysicians, making them little more than lackeys themselves--hence they also quit caring about excellence. Putting a leader at the top of the team whose goal is patient care, not the bottom line, really does make a difference in how the system works.

MontanaMountainWoman of MT 10:36PM December 27, 2008