Surviving the Medical System - by Martin Brossman

UPDATED: When my father ( Martin Brossman II ) suffered two heart attacks and repeated hospital visits in the space of two years, I quickly gained a good deal of insight into the nuances of interacting with the medical system. This, combined with years of volunteering at Duke Hospital where I received the Governor’s Volunteer of the Year award, helped me to develop an approach I now call “The Colombo Process.” Colombo, the TV detective played by Peter Falk, was famous for masking his relentless persistence behind a friendly, charming façade. As any Colombo fan will attest, he always got the information he needed.

The core principle of The Colombo Process is the key to dealing with the medical system: Doctors and nurses bear the responsibility to explain things in your language! If you don’t understand the explanations you hear, be sure to clearly express your concerns. Competent professionals explain things patiently and clearly. Medical care providers are no exception. If you feel that you’ve been treated in an impatient or condescending manner, find someone else to work with if at all possible.

I first put the process in action after my father’s first heart attack, in a Washington, D.C. hospital close to the home where I grew up as an only child, where he still lives with my mother, who has also had heart and other related problems. During that hospital stay I recall telling the doctors up front, “I am not very good with medical terms and have a mind like a steel sieve, so I need to make notes while we talk.” I would be sure to follow this line with a warm smile, and soon made this my customary practice. Some other handy Colombo-like phrases I applied in requesting information or assistance were: What does it take to …. ? Would you help me…? Could you help me with this…?

As I’ve observed many times, families often have to hunt down doctors just to find out what’s going on. I’ve often wondered how much more impact doctors could make if they would simply make an extra effort to keep their patients (and patients’ families) in the loop. On one occasion, I put this question to a very successful malpractice attorney, “How would it effect your practice if doctors truly communicated with their patients”. She said that if this were to happen she would be “completely out of business.” I want you to reflect on how profound that statement is, especially if you are a doctor or nurse. This is good advice to give your doctor as well.

When speaking to a care provider, log the time and ask for the spelling of their name, as well as their role in taking care of your family member. You don’t have to accept what you are told without question. I also recommend speaking to your attorney about designating medical power of attorney for your loved ones. If and when they are hospitalized, bring a copy of the paperwork and make sure it goes into their files.

When a doctor orders a test, you have a right to ask how it contributes to your recovery. You may also consider asking how they plan to act on the results of this test. I fended off at several unnecessary test during many of my father’s stays in the hospital. Most recently, a test order was worded in such a way that I almost missed it. The person told me that they planned to do a chemical stress test “to compare it to the MRI.” I let them know I had medical power of attorney, and I asked if the test was directly necessary for my father’s survival. She then admitted that it was part of a statistical trial to compare two types of tests, and that they didn’t need to do it.

I also recommend keeping a log of events from all previous medical records. This includes all known allergies, what occurred and when, and a list of all medications. Hospitals will often interrogate patients with detailed questions when they are too sick to answer reliably. If you keep your own list, it will help to insure that the hospitals continue to act based on accurate information.

See the full article and New blog "Success with the Medical System" at: http://medicalsystemsuccess.blogspot.com/ .

A Concerned Son,
Martin W Brossman III
Martin@CoachingSupport.com
Written in my fathers hospital room while trying to get help for his pain.

Update: Just found out the nurses posted the entire article on the notice board for the floor my Fathers in for all the nurses and staff to read.

Update2: I added a discussion so anyone can share resources you know of or you offer related to this topic, check it out: http://inside919.ning.com/forum/topics/what-have-you-found-useful-in