deboraginastewart said:
Thanks Barry for the hints, however, I don't know about how things work in American hospitals, but here in Brazil, doctors and staff don't really let you in on everything that's being done to you. I mean, they explain all about the operation itself, ask and answer questions, but don't really let you take a look at your chart and I don't think the patient's allowed to question on the medicine they're being given and so on. Any hints to try and change that? They say you should never make a doctor or nurse dislike you, after all, you're in their hands and some people even fear getting something bad done to them. Good luck to us!
Débora
By the way hospital staff here in the USA act, things are no different here in the USA than in Brazil. They don't let you in on what's going on, don't tell you much of anything about the meds they give you other than "Take this.", and don't want you to look at your chart. It's not the law, it's just the way they act - here's a specific example:
When I was in for my OHS I was up in the middle of the night and went for a walk through the corridors. Outside each room was a table with the charts for each patient on it. As I returned to my room, I spotted my chart and began to read it. A nurse came up and told me that I wasn't allowed to read it, that doing so was a violation of HIPAA (the Federal law in the US governing release of medical records). I'm rather familiar with HIPAA and politely but firmly told her that, as a matter of fact, it was a violation of HIPAA if they did
not let me read my chart (a true fact), but if she wanted me to submit a written request so they could give me the denial in writing to be introduced into evidence at the civil suit I would be filing for HIPAA violation that was certainly OK with me - buffered with "No offense, I know they haven't seen the wisdom of puttin you in charge of the hospital, but what you're telling me is policy is violation of Federal law." From that point on, I had no difficulties accessing my chart.
I've learned to always ask "Why?" with regard to procedures and to ask about risks, benefits, and alternatives. Same with meds - although with meds I've found that the docs often really don't know that much about them themselves, and pharmacy inserts (info from the manufacturer sent to the pharmacy when they order meds) and pharmacists are much better sources of info; docs generally know only about med benefits, I suspect an artifact of pharmaceutical company salespeople being their primary source of med information for anything developed since the doc got out of medical school.
Here in the USA, I think what drives the veterinary medicine approach to medicine (i.e. not working with or talking with your patients) isn't really callous disregard or dehumanization - I think it's that our healthcare system here is just very overloaded and time is money; to make a living in medicine these days you have to see a zillion patients and you can't see that many if you really take the time with each to do meaningful informed consent. Another thing that drives it is that most patients put up with it.
I've also found, however, that in assertively insisting on answers to questions and upon access to my medical record that it is imperative to be exquisitely polite because - besides simple human decency, civility, and respect for other people - you've got to maintain a relationship with these folks.
I think the food at my hospital was better than some of the others I've heard about, but still...
