Nurses Survey Confirms What Indiana Medical malpractice Lawyers Have Known All Along - Hospitals are Dirtier Than You Think
A survey of nurses and patients taken over the past year shows what Merrillville medical malpractice lawyers have known all along - that hospitals may actually be much more dangerous and unsanitary than we know.
That scary fact comes via a survey of nurses and patients published by Consumer Reports in its September 2009 magazine. Consumer Reports surveyed both nurses and patients about hospital conditions. The differences in the responses of both, were startling.
While 4% of patients reported seeing problems with hospital cleanliness, 28% of nurses reported seeing such problems.
While care coordination was an issue with 13% of patients, it was a problem reported by at least 38% of nurses.
Worse, only 5% of patients reported that hospital staff sometimes failed to wash their hands, but that is a much bigger problem than we think. 26% of nurses reported that doctors and nurses sometimes failed to wash their hands before approaching patients.
The data reveals that patients may often be unaware of unsanitary and inefficient conditions in the hospital. This can be extremely dangerous because when a patient gets admitted to a hospital, he does so with full faith in the hygiene and sanitary conditions at the facility. But all too often, patients are injured by medication errors, contract infections from unsanitary conditions, and have their care otherwise compromised by inefficiency.
The nurses in the Consumer Reports survey have recommended steps that patients can take to ensure a safe hospital stay.
Make sure that you choose the best and right hospital for your illness. The Consumer Reports survey showed that a mere 11% of patients chose a hospital based on its record in treating their illness, while just 2% based their choice on hospital ratings. The nurses recommend choosing a well rated hospital that has a good record of treating your condition.
Less than 2% of American hospitals have electronic record systems, which means that it's more than likely that your hospital maintains its records the old fashioned, prone-to-errors way. The nurses in the survey recommend that you keep a printout detailing your medications, illness history, and any past surgeries, for quick reference by those who are treating you.
Care coordination is often a problem, with 13% of patients reporting disjointed care. This is often the result of several doctors being involved in your case. Take a family member of friend with you to coordinate care with doctors and specialists on your behalf. You can also ask for a case manager or social worker to coordinate care with your doctors.
Check medications before taking them. As Indiana medical malpractice lawyers, we often see that medication errors are some of the biggest contributing factors to patient injuries.
Make sure you understand all your discharge instructions carefully. This includes medication schedules, and other instructions.
As a patient, you also have the right to ask your doctors to wash their hands in front of you before they attend to you. Don’t be embarrassed or shy - your health depends on it.
