Emergency-medicine experts are sounding an alarm that people who visit hospital ERs often go home without understanding the medical instructions doctors give them.
In an article in the January issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine, which reviewed more than 50 previous studies, researchers recommended that doctors provide instructions verbally, in writing and include visual demonstrations when possible, The Canadian Press reported.
“It doesn’t happen as systematically as I would want it to,” said co-author Dr. Stephen Porter of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
“One of the big lessons for a lot of institutions is that simply giving written instructions, especially if it’s not at a reading level that is appropriate for a given patient, doesn’t really help.
“Because there’s not going to be much on that piece of paper that’s going to be a real reference for people if they either don’t understand what’s written or if they don’t have somebody else who can work with the document and understand what the plan is.”
The researchers’ review cited an example from pediatric medicine, where drugs often come in liquid form. Many parents can’t figure out the correct dose without help but doctors don’t necessarily show them exactly what dose is required.
Physicians give the dose in milligrams, said Porter, but once home, parents have to translate that dose into the volume marking on the syringe.
One of the studies the authors reviewed found 21 per cent of elderly patients did not understand their diagnosis when discharged from the ER.
Another study done in a pediatric ER found that while most instructions given at discharge required college-level reading skills, almost half the parents of children being treated had a high school education or less. Only 30 per cent of parents were able to demonstrate both an accurately measured and correct dose of acetaminophen, another study found.
Porter said the message parents should take from the review is that they should not be afraid to ask questions “and ask for people to show them.”
“Discharge communication is an opportunity to recap the visit, teach patients and families how to safely care for themselves or their loved ones at home, and address any remaining questions,” Porter said on the web site Medicalxpress.com.
“Failure to understand important elements of care can result in medical error at home and safety risks, including incorrect medication use, inappropriate home care and failure to follow-up on concerning symptoms.”
Misunderstanding discharge instructions also increases the likelihood of patients revisiting busy emergency rooms, Porter added.
“It’s a two-way conversation that has often been overlooked.”

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/er-patients-often-misunderstand-doctors-discharge-instructions-canadian-210451457.html

PLEASE DIRECT THIS REQUEST TO THE ADMINISTRATORS OF ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL

I would like to see a sign erected at the entrance to the hospital parkade on Keary Street. This sign need only contain a large letter “P” and should face east down Keary Street so that it is visible to all cars coming from East Columbia.
In support of this proposal I would like to cite the following situation that happened to me:

I recently arrived by car at your hospital for a medical appointment. My route took me north on East Columbia and then east on Keary Street. As I turned the corner I noticed a sign that said ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL and arrows pointing east with the word PARKING. Looking down the street to the end I could see no parking entrance. Then just past the first building on the right I saw a sign that among other things said that parking for hospital patients was $4 for overnight parking. It said nothing about parking during the day. I parked my car in the lot and as I was about to pay for my spot two other drivers came up to the machine. Together we noticed the sign that said NO HOSPITAL PARKING. We all asked one another how this could be? Perhaps the parking was further down the street but there was no sign visible to us. We were all in a hurry to make our appointments and so we just paid and carried on. Later when I returned to my car there were three people lined up to pay for parking. Just curious I asked where each one was going and they all confirmed to me that they were going to the hospital. I asked them if they realized that the hospital parking was further down the street. They all said no but they all remained parked. Imagine that. Six out of six people all confused regarding the location of the hospital parking. How much would it take to erect a simple sign with a large “P” for parking just outside the parking entrance and facing west down Keary.

One more thing. Lack of attention to detail is, to me, a good indicator as to how badly this hospital is being run. Overcrowding, patients in halls, poor signage, they are all symptoms of poor management. Time for a change. I mean a change in how you do things.

Regards,

William Hegel
3220 Blundell Rd.
Richmond, BC

Brand new biulding is disgustingly decadant and emerg times are still hours long. Took an hour to be triaged and they said they weren’t too busy! Hospital are built for the staff and doctors not patient care!

Mrs. Darlene Rozon December 21, 2011

To Whom It May Concern:

I have a major concern about the cleanliness and inefficiencies of the Humber River Hospital at 2115 Finch Ave, Toronto. I was there December 2nd through the 5th for gastric bypass surgery and then again December 7th through the 12th for a stomach infection.

During the time I was in this hospital I never witnessed anyone washing the floors in either of the rooms I stayed in. The showers had soap sticking to the floors and even after I asked for the showers to be cleaned the soap still remained.

I hesitated to go to the bathroom until someone cleaned it since there were four people in the room as well as the visitors that used it carrying germs on their clothes and shoes and I could see the black stains on the floors and the rooms were very dirty in my opinion. Never once did I see anyone cleaning the bathrooms in either of the rooms I stayed in.

Just before leaving I witnessed an older woman that went to the washroom that urinated on the floors and the wall. A woman came to clean up after her but only put a towel over it and mopped it up without using any disinfectant. I had to go in and insisted that the washroom be disinfected but nothing was done.

I also witnessed a machine in the hallways going over dirt and stains on the floor and it looked like it was just smearing it around but not cleaning it up. I wiped a cloth over the floor just to see and it came up just black with the dirt from the floor. I went into a small room with refrigerators and microwaves to get some hot water for tea and there was dirt and grime all over the floor, under the fridges, and when I looked inside the fridge it looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in months.

Someone should be inspecting the hospital on a regular basis to make sure they pass the finger test. Even when I came home my white slippers were sickening black on the bottom. After witnessing all of these events I wasn’t surprised at getting an infection. I’ve seen grocery stores cleaner than this hospital and that just shouldn’t be the case.

Upon returning to the hospital on December 7th, I had to wait an incredibly long time to get seen, from 12 noon until 8pm in the evening, and I was suffering in pain all this time and then told I would be seen but there were no beds available and that I would have to sleep in the hallway just off the emergency entrance. But I could see there were four other beds made up which I took a picture of.

I just couldn’t believe what I was going through with no sleep for two days and on morphine for pain and taking x-rays and a cat scan. They discovered I had a sac and they were looking into how to treat it. I met a surgeon, Dr. Swan and he spoke with Dr. Sohi, my surgeon, and Dr. Glazer and determined to treat it with antibiotics and keep me on it until the following Sunday so I would be staying the weekend in this dirty hospital and I was worried I would be struggling for a long time.

I had nurses that were very loud and refused to let people sleep and when the shift change came it was like a herd of elephants coming in and making lots of noise until the early hours of the night. No one in my room was having an easy time of their stay either. I took phone numbers of these other people. We had to constantly shut the door because of the noise and turn the lights off because they would wake everyone up instead of using a flashlight in the night. I had to specifically ask them to use the little lights over the individual beds instead. I was met with hostility several times just for asking for an ice pack or a hot pack so I just went to get my own and ended up helping others with warming up their hot packs at the same time as I did mine.

I did go to the managers office before I left the hospital and submitted a complaint and she said she would make a note of it and took my phone number but I still haven’t received a phone call.

I was suffering in pain from infection and was not even given Tylenol low strength and was informed by the doctor I would be given a prescription for Tylenol 3, but when I went to the pharmacy they gave me the wrong dose. I paid $23.00 for the incorrect prescription and then had to call and wait, in pain, to get the prescription corrected. I had to go back the next day since I was told not to bring I.D. or credit cards, and then they wouldn’t take back and give me a refund for the wrong medication. I also had to buy blood thinners that cost $200 but then didn’t need them since I came back for the infection and was given the meds then. They also refused to refund the money for these even though they were not opened. I don’t have money to throw around and I think I should be refunded the money for these unnecessary medications that were not my mistake and not covered by my drug plan.

I am on low income ODSP with many health issues and have a very limited income every month. I am trying to continue my education and retrain so I can work again but every penny lost puts me more in poverty and it is not fair to not be compensated for this mistake. It shouldn’t be a big deal to admit an error and correct it.

I hope to bring attention to these serious problems in this hospital and receive an immediate reply. I will also be forwarding this letter to other ministries involved in making positive changes in Canada.

Sincerely,

__________________
Ms. Darlene Rozon

cc. Health Department, MP of Toronto, Mayor of Toronto, Dr. Shoi, Dr. Glazer, Dr. Shaw, Head of the Humber River Hospital

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Being on medication from the hospital for no reason and would like to take it to court and start receiving money.

If your child is not dying they don’t have the time for your child.

You can not change an appointment because that is not how they work. The appointment that they mail to you is the appointment you get. That is it.

CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT IN THE CASE OF MY DAD. ENTERED THERE WITH PNEUMONIA. WAS LEFT THREE DAYS WITHOUT HYDRATION (UNABLE TO CONSUME FOODS, BEVERAGES – WAS LEFT WITHOUT I.V.) SCANTY URINE WAS DARK BROWN. WAS OVERLOOKED BY STAFF. DAYS WENT BY WITHOUT VISIT FROM MD. SCABS INDICATIVE OF END-STAGE DEHYDRATION FORMED ON EYES, MOUTH. DESPITE CHOKING, SEVERE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS, AND UNCONSCIOUSNESS, WAS DEEMED FIT TO BE DISCHARGED (WITHOUT VISIT FROM MD) DIED LATER ON THE SAME DAY.

I have worked as a casemanager for a community living organization for about 4 years and have heard horror stories about this hospital. I reside in Brampton and have personally experienced this myself. I have lost a father due to the negligence of the staff of this hospital including the doctors who choose to go on vacation and not follow up with patients who suffer from a number of conditions. I have never seen such incompetence coming from staff from one particular hospital to the extent I have witnessed and heard several stories from various families within Brampton
- Sham