How To Make Yourself Heard While In The Hospital

I am someone who has been through "the system"--the healthcare system, that is--and I know how frustrating it is for you to find yourself frequently in and out of the hospital for a condition that, while concerning, should have been easily taken care of the first time you came in for treatment.

Being mishandled in the hospital or the doctor's office happens to most people in some fashion at some point in their lives, but it doesn't mean you need to sit back and tolerate it.

Sometimes, in order to receive the best care, you have to take a few things into your own hands. So, here are a few ways to improve your overall experience in getting medical care.

If a staff member in a hospital or physician's office seems to be mistreating you, try addressing that person directly before going over their head by speaking to a supervisor. Mistreatment can include general rudeness, giving you misinformation, or dismissing your concerns.

When this happens, don't make a scene or lose your temper. Try to speak to them privately. Be direct about the issue, but don't be accusatory or unkind--otherwise the problem could just be perpetuated.

You need to understand that these people are very busy (especially emergency room personnel), and if they brush you off, it isn't necessarily because they don't care or they're a rotten nurse/orderly/doctor/whomever.

If the issue does not improve, do be sure to convey the problem to the nursing supervisor. You might also try to contact your primary care doctor to get involved--whether you are in the hospital or in his or her office--but on evenings and sometimes during the weekend, this can be difficult.

One way to make your hospital experience smoother is to be sure all of your medical records are up to date. If you know you have an upcoming hospital stay--like if you're having major surgery--make sure accurate medical transcription has taken place.

Try to ensure that there are both electronic and physical copies of your current medical records, including pertinent medical history. If you have a major health complication which could put you in the ER at any moment--like diabetes or history of heart trouble--be sure that your have emergency contacts which also have medical transcriptions of your conditions, including allergies.

Make sure that some of those emergency contacts can actually be there with you in the hospital to act as an advocate for you if you are too ill to make complaints yourself. Staying in the hospital is generally a miserable experience as it is--it doesn't need to be made worse by going unheard and disrespected.