| By :
Mark Etinger
Choosing a hospital can be a trying situation, especially under the stress of having to deal with medical complications. Some hospitals are simply better than others, whether because they have better doctors, or perform more routinely the kind of surgery you need. Here are some tips for choosing the best hospital so that you feel the most comfortable undergoing medical treatment. 1. National Quality Standards: Many states require hospitals to meet certain standards, and then print the results for the public to compare. Staff, equipment, and the success of patient treatment all factor in the accreditation process. Reviews are done about every 3 years. Areas needing improvement are registered and compared to the national level. Accreditation rankings range from “Not Credited” to “Accredited with Commendation.” The Joint Commission performs these accreditations, and you can check your hospital at www.JointCommission.org. 2. Local Comparisons: Some private groups form their own accreditations, which determine how satisfied patients are with their treatment. By talking with doctors, businesses and hospital administrators, these programs help to define a hospital’s overall quality. You can also call your state’s health department, hospital association or health care board. Also ask your doctor about their personal opinion of the hospital. 3. Doctor: Your doctor should be allowed to admit patients. Your health plan should also be accepted at the hospital because if it isn’t you may have difficulty paying for your procedure. 4. Experience: A general hospital has more practice with common problems and issues. Specialty hospitals treat a specific group of people, like geriatrics, and focus on a certain kind of condition or procedure, like cancer, or heart surgery. Hospitals that have experienced your condition before tend to do better than hospitals that haven’t. How often the procedure is done by the hospital, and the doctor, affects the patient’s results. Outcome studies are reports published on patients once they have been released. These studies can be important in determining the success of patients at a certain hospital. 5. Improvement: Patient outcomes are one way that hospitals track improvement. Injuries and infections that occur while the patients are still in the hospital are monitored by the hospital management. You can ask them for patient satisfaction surveys, which will give you an idea of how previous patients felt about their treatment. Ultimately, you should feel confident in your doctor, your hospital, and your convalescence. If you don’t feel comfortable, it will be hard to feel like you are getting good treatment, and if you don’t feel like you’re getting good treatment, it may be hard to recover from a procedure, especially when you’re on your own. There’s nothing wrong with spending some time at a hospital in a different state if you feel like your chances of success will be enhanced. Certain clinics and hospitals are nationally renowned for a particular procedure or specialization. When you are dealing with your health, remember that your mental health is key to physical health. Stay positive and determined, and, with quality care, you will feel better in no time.
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