Improving your Healthcare Experience

By Dr. Colleen Sholar

Most of us will go to a clinic, the emergency room or be in the hospital at some point each year, according to the CDC 83.4% of adults each year.  So, let’s talk about ways to make these visits safer and more productive.

A common concern in any healthcare setting is medication errors.  All of your healthcare providers would appreciate you bringing in all of your prescriptions and supplements to each visit, or if that is not possible, to bring a list.  It’s important to know not only the name but the formulation, dose, and directions for how often to take each medication.   If you choose to keep a list instead of bringing bottles, please review and update this list every few months.  It’s easy to assume your “chart” has your med list available but if you are someone seeing multiple healthcare providers there can be interim changes from other providers and it is hard to know when someone has been instructed to change the way a medication is taken or stop a medication.

Another concern is knowing your medical and surgical history.  It’s hard to remember everything that has happened, so many people keep a list (handwritten or typed), that they bring with them to any new clinic or urgent care /emergency room visit.

To reduce stress some planning ahead can go a long way, especially to a clinic visit.  If you are coming in with a particular complaint having written out a few details will help you feel less nervous when questions are asked and there are certain questions you can expect, for example: When did the problem start?  How often does it happen?  What makes it better or worse?  For some concerns it helps to have a diary of events like for headaches, a food log if talking about weight loss, or a list of home blood pressure readings if following up after a new medication.  A list of reminders is always helpful.

Sometimes for safety the best course of action is to bring another person with you.  There have been many studies about how much information we remember after a healthcare encounter and they have found that we often forget 40-80% of the healthcare information told to us immediately after the encounter.  Having someone you trust with you, especially when you are feeling unwell, can help get the plan you decide on into action.

In an attempt to help with communication we at Clearwater Valley Health should be giving you a handout at the end of each clinic visit, ER visit or hospital stay.  From clinic this paper includes not only a list instruction from the visit that day but also list all of your prescriptions and includes your medical problems.  From the ER visit there are instructions and you are always encouraged to follow up with your primary care provider for further care once the emergency is managed.  From the hospital you will receive a discharge summary that should give instructions and a list of medications you should be starting, stopping and continuing.

We all want each encounter with the healthcare system to be personal and improve your health.  With some planning each visit can be a bit safer and more productive.