Daniel Nelson went to the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, this summer for a gut check — the medical term for his abdominal procedure was 11 syllables long. A week later, while waiting to be told how the exam turned out, the Woodbury man was summoned for a second, 17-syllable procedure.
Medicine tends to become more worrisome by the syllable, so Nelson wanted a clear explanation of what was wrong and what to do next. But despite talking to two doctors and reading a report about his first procedure, he had questions about his diagnosis and was confused about a drug he was supposed to take.
So he went to the top, sending letters to the hospital's patient relations department and copying Fairview Health Services President and CEO Mark Eustis for good measure. When he didn't hear back from anybody for a month, he contacted the Watchdog.
Shortly after the Watchdog called Fairview Health Services' media relations manager, Ryan Davenport, Nelson got the information he needed — and in writing, the form he preferred after talking to the doctors. After weeks of waiting, the Watchdog's involvement made it possible for Nelson to find out exactly what the doctors meant and to know exactly what to do.
Nelson thanked the Watchdog for stepping in: "Once in a while, you get someone else to shake the tree," he said.
Communication between health care providers and patients is fraught with peril: Complicated conditions can be difficultto explain in layperson's terms — a patient more familiar with, say, sports or high-finance lingo can find himself perplexed by medical terminology.
So what's an ailing patient's best chance for a communication cure?
Here's what Fairview Health Services has to say:
Patients should play an active role in their own medical care, and that means talking to the doctor and other care providers as much as necessary to understand what's going on. Patients shouldn't hesitate to call, Davenport said.
Your best bet, especially if you foresee your condition may be complicated or require long-term care, is to ask the doctor up front: "If I have a question, what's the best way to connect with you?"
Depending on the doctor and the situation, you may decide to leave a message with the doctor's office, call the direct number for a particular nurse or to e-mail the doctor directly. Ask how long you can expect to wait to get a return call or e-mail.
"We would expect it to be expedient," Davenport said.
To get some types of information quicker, Fairview has an online program, MyChart, where patients can access their lab and test results, make appointments, check prescriptions and e-mail care providers.
If polysyllabic medical words tend to confuse you, or if you're under a lot of stress, bring along a trusted loved one to provide an extra set of ears. That person may later be able to help you make sense of what your doctor had to say. Prepare yourself before the appointment, bring a list of questions and take notes.
If you still find you have a question once you get home, make that call or send that e-mail. If it's urgent, don't wait until the end of the day.
If it works better for you to get information about your case in a particular way — like Nelson, who wanted to see it in writing — then ask for it that way.
As for the letters Nelson sent to the higher-ups:
The Fairview patient relations department responds to medical questions directed their way by sending them back to care providers. If it's a written inquiry about an issue that's not immediate — a complaint about hospital service, for example — a patient relations staffer tries to write back within 30 days, Davenport said.
And letters sent to top dog Eustis do get his attention, Davenport said. Eustis reads them, and most he passes on: A complaint about someone's emergency room experience could go to the ER's medical director, with a request to respond to the patient and copy Eustis. The chief personally answers questions about certain big-picture topics — Fairview's plans to expand and health care reform proposals, for example.
Nelson wanted to keep private details of his medical condition. But now, as he continues to be treated, he'll know just what to do.
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