Going the hospital for medical care shouldn’t be something that requires you to protect yourself. However, you do need to take steps to boost your chance of leaving the hospital in better shape than you were in when you were admitted.
There are many things that can happen while you are in the hospital that can lead to problems. One thing to remember is that you deserve to receive care that at least meets the current standard of care for your situation. When you don’t, you might opt to pursue a claim for medical malpractice.
Know your treatment plan
Knowing your treatment plan helps to ensure that you are getting the care you need without having unnecessary testing or procedures done. You can use a written copy of the treatment plan to check off things as they are done so that you know that everything is being taken care of. You also need to know who’s part of your care team and which doctors are making decisions about what’s going on.
Have a strong advocate
Receiving medical care is a stressful experience. It is easy to miss information that’s presented to you. Having someone else there with you is beneficial because they can make notes and ask questions on your behalf. Having another set of ears can often help you to catch things that you might have missed.
Schedule procedures carefully
When you have to schedule procedures, try to do this for the morning hours. You are more likely to get better care then. As doctors move through their work day, fatigue can start to become a factor, and there is also the matter of staff trying to rush toward the end of the day so they can get home. It is also suggested that you avoid Thursday and Friday dates for scheduled surgeries if possible.
Demand handwashing
Hospital-acquired infections are a huge concern when you’re inpatient. In order to combat this, make sure that everyone who comes into your room washes their hands before doing anything else. This can minimize the germs that are introduced into your space.
Trying to cover the damages that come from lax medical care can be challenging. Your medical malpractice lawsuit can help you to do this. You might have considerable medical bills and other financial impacts such as lack of income if you aren’t able to work while the issues are addressed.