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Getting Good Health Care
Published by 4Hope on 2006/2/7 (1303 reads)
Once a month, Barb and Mike meet with Dr. James Griffin to record a segment for the KEOM 88.5FM Community Focus Program. This is a script from the February 6, 2006 taping. It deals with the best ways to find good health care. This is Barb's conversation with Dr. Griffin.
Dr. Griffin: So, Barb, what are we talking about today?
Barb: Today I thought we would talk about some core ideas for getting the best treatment when needed. Many folks have some inkling that they have something going on with their bodies, that they are just not feeling right, often in advance of the time there is a serious problem. Unfortunately, due to varied reasons, we put off dealing with such things.
Part of the problem, I think, is due to the heavy weight of responsibility that we all carry in our modern society. We feel we are just to busy to be slowed down to take care of an "ache" or pain. Other times, I think that we are just playing mind games with ourselves - kind of an out of sight, out of mind approach to self-care. We might even call it denial. Whatever the reason for this behavior, it can be deadly. For example, this past week the health community paid attention to very heavy and silent toll that heart disease takes on women: there is often little or no warning that women are facing an impending heart incident - it just happens. So, we have to do something to change the mindset that we can put off attending to health needs and be better prepared
in case something does affect our health
Dr. Griffin: So when we realize that we need to give attention to our health or sense that something is amiss, how do we deal with it?
Barb: In short, get the best health care you can, at the best facility you can, in the quickest time frame possible. If it is an emergency, such as chest pains, you err on the side of caution - get help immediately. Some concerns have implications that are much too serious to take the let's just see how this goes approach.
Dr. Griffin: You made an important statement there and I'd like to break it down a bit. I'll try to take it in order. You mentioned Get the best health care you can. What does that refer to?
Barb: I'm referring to the fact that there is no substitute for research on the part of patient or doctor. There is a very dangerous mindset for some elders - and others - who believe that we just do what the doctor says. In this day, where there are so many loopholes and red tape through which health care decisions can inadvertently stumble, it is imperative that patients take more control. If you have time, do the research on the Internet, ask friends, and check with other medical professionals before going to a physician.
If there is no time, try to get to a teaching hospital as soon as possible. As a general rule, a teaching hospital has the greatest pressure to maintain the skill levels and credentials of their staff. My husband has told me several times, "If something happens to me, get me to - and you can insert his favorite teaching hospital." We are blessed to have several of them around town.
Dr. Griffin: You mentioned "At the best facility"?
Barb: Right. There are ways to find out information about facilities that gives you an idea about what kind of treatment they give. Every hospital in the United States that treats Medicare patients is listed, along with their track record in significant markers of care, on the government's web site, Medicare.gov. Honestly, we recommend that every listener go to that site, scroll down to the bottom where it says "Compare Hospitals," and check out all the nearby facilities. You can also go to healthgrades.com. That is a commercial site, but it has information that may be a big advantage in getting good care. Do this research now so that you have an idea of what hospital you would like to go to in the event of an emergency.
Finally, get the help you need as fast as you reasonably can. For anything that seems even remotely like an emergency, get help as soon possible. Using these kinds of proactive approaches greatly improves the likelihood of getting good, quality healthcare and enjoying prolonged and happy years. To get the links we mentioned,
go to ElderHope.com.
Compare facilities at these sites:
Medicare.gov
healthgrades.com
Dr. Griffin: So, Barb, what are we talking about today?
Barb: Today I thought we would talk about some core ideas for getting the best treatment when needed. Many folks have some inkling that they have something going on with their bodies, that they are just not feeling right, often in advance of the time there is a serious problem. Unfortunately, due to varied reasons, we put off dealing with such things.
Part of the problem, I think, is due to the heavy weight of responsibility that we all carry in our modern society. We feel we are just to busy to be slowed down to take care of an "ache" or pain. Other times, I think that we are just playing mind games with ourselves - kind of an out of sight, out of mind approach to self-care. We might even call it denial. Whatever the reason for this behavior, it can be deadly. For example, this past week the health community paid attention to very heavy and silent toll that heart disease takes on women: there is often little or no warning that women are facing an impending heart incident - it just happens. So, we have to do something to change the mindset that we can put off attending to health needs and be better prepared
in case something does affect our health
Dr. Griffin: So when we realize that we need to give attention to our health or sense that something is amiss, how do we deal with it?
Barb: In short, get the best health care you can, at the best facility you can, in the quickest time frame possible. If it is an emergency, such as chest pains, you err on the side of caution - get help immediately. Some concerns have implications that are much too serious to take the let's just see how this goes approach.
Dr. Griffin: You made an important statement there and I'd like to break it down a bit. I'll try to take it in order. You mentioned Get the best health care you can. What does that refer to?
Barb: I'm referring to the fact that there is no substitute for research on the part of patient or doctor. There is a very dangerous mindset for some elders - and others - who believe that we just do what the doctor says. In this day, where there are so many loopholes and red tape through which health care decisions can inadvertently stumble, it is imperative that patients take more control. If you have time, do the research on the Internet, ask friends, and check with other medical professionals before going to a physician.
If there is no time, try to get to a teaching hospital as soon as possible. As a general rule, a teaching hospital has the greatest pressure to maintain the skill levels and credentials of their staff. My husband has told me several times, "If something happens to me, get me to - and you can insert his favorite teaching hospital." We are blessed to have several of them around town.
Dr. Griffin: You mentioned "At the best facility"?
Barb: Right. There are ways to find out information about facilities that gives you an idea about what kind of treatment they give. Every hospital in the United States that treats Medicare patients is listed, along with their track record in significant markers of care, on the government's web site, Medicare.gov. Honestly, we recommend that every listener go to that site, scroll down to the bottom where it says "Compare Hospitals," and check out all the nearby facilities. You can also go to healthgrades.com. That is a commercial site, but it has information that may be a big advantage in getting good care. Do this research now so that you have an idea of what hospital you would like to go to in the event of an emergency.
Finally, get the help you need as fast as you reasonably can. For anything that seems even remotely like an emergency, get help as soon possible. Using these kinds of proactive approaches greatly improves the likelihood of getting good, quality healthcare and enjoying prolonged and happy years. To get the links we mentioned,
go to ElderHope.com.
Compare facilities at these sites:
Medicare.gov
healthgrades.com
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care health hospitals hospital evaluating
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