Avoiding Medical Errors

Preventable errors by doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers are a major cause of death and disability in the US, comparable to cancer and heart disease. The rules explored in Avoiding Medical Errors help patients avoid becoming victims and address areas that might otherwise be overlooked.

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Patients, or those who are acting for them, (children, disabled, etc.), learn what should be done to protect them at every stage of healthcare throughout the entire life span from infancy through old age. The Rules begin with doctor selection and explain how patients, with no medical knowledge, should make difficult decisions. Here are some of the topics covered:
-should I undergo surgery on the recommendation of my doctor?
-When and how to obtain a “second opinion”.
-If patient agrees to have surgery, how to “interview” your surgeon before making a final decision about proceeding with the operation.
-How to assemble and use your “hospital kit” which will contain items essential to a safe and successful hospitalization.
-How to organize and maintain your medical (including medication) records over many years.
-Should you, or must you, use smart phones (with or without cameras), or computers to help with medical record keeping?
-What to do in the last two weeks before hospitalization?
-How to prepare for the day you enter the hospital? (Should you go alone or should you take a knowledgeable person to help with the reams of paperwork, signature requests, and oher nerve-wracking procedures?
-Should you enter a hospital alone or arrange for a 24/7 “advocate”?
-How hospital patients can protect themselves from the many dangers faced by all patients.
-Where and how to safely buy medications: In or out of the U.S? By mail or personal visit to a pharmacy?
-Financial and insurance issues involving your doctors, medical testing, and hospitalizations.
-What to do if you are injured while you are a hospital patient or at your doctor’s office.