Your Doctor May be Killing You

 

I normally don’t like to pull back the curtain, but sometimes, in the auspices of full disclosure, I feel compelled to take a closer look at myself.  

This is not one of those times; however, I do want to tackle a touchy subject, that of medical mistakes.  I realize that a doctor discussing this is like a mafioso talking about their bungled hit list, but since I would never dream of doing any of these things, I feel justified.  Just realize that, like making sausage, sometimes it may be better off not knowing some things.  Read on at your own risk and don’t, under any circumstances, forward this to any lawyers. Some might say that the whole topic of medical errors is a tempest in a teapot.  I don’t really know what that means, but it actually is a significant problem.  One recent study stated that 10% of deaths in the US are due to medical errors.  That’s more than diabetes, smoking, or elevator music.  Now I realize that all statistics are subject to bias and need to be contextual to be meaningful, but even if these numbers are wrong, it illustrates that there is something significant going on.

So what actually constitutes a medical error?  Is using the wrong end of a stethoscope considered an error or is it more serious things like substituting Viagra for hair loss meds and having your hair stand on its end?  

As you can imagine, the definition of error is about as clear as a politician’s conscience, so this immediately raises some red flags about how the data is collected.  Obviously, there are some “errors” that have little consequence, such as taking a rectal temperature instead of an oral temperature, but others may be more impactful.  

One of the biggest areas for mistakes is with medications.  Probably the number one major error in hospitals are related to the timing or dosage of medications.  This can arise from a variety of sources: poor communication, sloppy handwriting, stupid computer programs, or inexperienced personnel.  It behooves you, if you are hospitalized, to ask each time you are given a medication what it is, what it does, and how often you are getting it.  Don’t ask how much it costs or you may experience immediate heart failure.  If you are unable to ask or unaware of your medications, simply inform the nurses that both your kids are attorneys and I promise they will take extra care in what they do.

One of the most innocent but frightening medical areas is in misdiagnosis.  Every doctor, if they have been in practice for more than 6 mo has misdiagnosed an illness.  It is just the nature of medical care that nothing is guaranteed or exact, as many illnesses initially mimic each other in their presentation.  A cold, allergy, flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, or asthma may all look exactly the same in their initial symptoms.  If I ordered a CT scan for every patient who had a headache, not only would I be practicing poor medicine but I would be paying for a radiologist's kid’s college. I hate like the devil to admit it, but doctors are human, sometimes, and mistakes will be made.  Luckily most are very minor and of no consequence, and virtually all are unintentional. What can you as a patient do to help prevent medical errors?  Here is a list to peruse:

1. Make sure that all of your doctors know about every medicine you are taking.This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines and dietary supplements, such as vitamins and herbs. 

2. Make sure your doctor knows about any allergies and adverse reactions you have had to medicines. 

3. When your doctor writes a prescription for you, make sure you can read it.If you cannot read your doctor's handwriting, your pharmacist might not be able to either. 

4. When you pick up your medicine from the pharmacy, ask: Is this the medicine that my doctor prescribed?

5. If you are in a hospital, consider asking all health care workers who will touch you whether they have washed their hands. 

6. If you are having surgery, make sure that you, your doctor, and your surgeon all agree on exactly what will be done.

7. If you have a choice, choose a hospital where many patients have had the procedure or surgery you need. 

8. Ask a family member or friend to go to appointments with you.Even if you do not need help now, you might need it later. 

9. If you have a test, do not assume that no news is good news.Ask how and when you will get the results. 

10. Learn about your condition and treatments by asking your doctor and nurse and by using other reliable sources.

For additional suggestions go to https://www.ahrq.gov/patients-consumers/care-planning/errors/20tips/index.html

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