Choosing Your Hospital
Because of the changes in the way health care is administered, patients do not often have much of a choice when it comes to choosing who will perform their surgery and where that surgery will occur. However, there are some basic evaluation tips you can use in order to make the most of what decision you have.
Evaluating A Hospital
When it comes to choosing a hospital, the options may be slim because of your area and the number of facilities available. Also, your physician may only have surgical privileges at a specific location(s). If you do choose your own facility, you may have to incur additional costs such as co-payments, travel expense, etc.
In order to truly evaluate a medical facility, you should look into the following sources of information: your doctor, other patients, and accreditation organizations.
Your Doctor
To find out what your doctor really thinks of the patient care at a particular hospital or surgicenter, you should ask specific questions, such as:
- Is the nursing staff adequate in terms of numbers and training? (Because 70 to 80% of a hospital budget goes to employee salaries and benefits, most medical centers have cut nursing staff significantly in recent years.)
- Does the hospital provide your surgeon with new instruments and equipment in the operating room?
- Does the operating room employ an adequate number of well-trained surgical technicians and assistants?
- Are the anesthesiologists skilled and conscientious? Do they perform regional anesthesia reliably?
- Does your surgeon have a financial interest in the facility?
Other Patients
Patients who have had a surgery in the facility you are evaluating can be a wealth of knowledge. Again, if you are armed with specific questions, you can be sure to get the major details that will help determine if you want to commit to the facility or continue looking.
Suggested Questions:
- Were registration and discharge handled smoothly and with minimal paperwork?
- Was the hospital staff attentive and responsive?
- Were procedures explained clearly and understandably?
- Was anesthesia smooth and pleasant?
- Was pain control adequate after surgery?
- Would your friend or acquaintance return to this facility as a patient in the future?
Accreditation Services
Organizations that evaluate health-care facilities on a regular basis can help provide details of every aspect of patient care at a specific hospital.
Joint Commission for Accreditation of Hospitals
1 Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
(630) 792-5800
Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care
3201 Old Glenview Road, Suite 300
Wilmette, Illinois 60091
847-853-6060
Please keep in mind that these services can only offer information regarding whether or not a facility has passed or failed in certain technical areas. They cannot recommend or compare facilities.
Hill, A.J., MD, PhD. The Patient's Guide to Anesthesia. New York: Kensington, 1999.
