I have a number of friends and family that will call before a surgery or consult with a new doctor and ask what I know about the physician.
I don’t have inside information, I just know where to look for information about healthcare providers online. Most states have free data bases where information about healthcare providers is readily available. In a few minutes you can access information such as credentials, specialty training and board certifications, past complaints with the board of medicine, past lawsuits etc. In Virginia (where I live and work) the information can be accessed here: https://secure01.virginiainteractive.org/dhp/cgi-bin/search_publicdb.cgi and http://www.vahealthprovider.com/search.asp .
So, step one in being an advocate for yourself and making good health care decisions is to look up the doctor online.
Step two, is to ask important questions about the procedure, treatment and surgery. Here are a few good questions to ask about a surgery that has been recommended:
- 1. What is the name of the procedure?
- 2. Does it go by any other name?
- 3. Will it be done laproscopically (meaning, with a camera and tiny holes through your body) or open (where your body is cut open)?
- 4. How many of these do you Mrs. Surgeon, do a year?
- 5. What is the worst thing that could happen? Has it happened to your patients?
- 6. Is this a necessary surgery? What will happen to me if I don’t get it?
- 7. Will you be alone? Will there be residents or training physicians? Can I refuse to allow the residents operate on me?
- 8. Will you be filming the surgery and saving it?
- 9. How long should it take?
- 10. Will the anesthesia be done by a nurse or a doctor?
- 11. Will you call my family during surgery to give an update?
- 12. How long will I be in the hospital after?
- 13. Have you ever operated on someone with my other conditions? Dementia / MS / diabetes / neuropathy? Etc?
- 14. Is post surgical infection a big concern?
- 15. What should I look out for after the surgery as far as signs and symptoms of infection?
- 16. Is this hospital known for this kind of procedure?
- 17. How many are done a year?
- 18. Have you had special training in this procedure?
- 19. Do other doctors do it a different way?
- 20. What are the most frequent risks?
- 21. How many surgeries will you have scheduled that day?
- 22. Are there any resources you can recommend I read more about the procedure and how you plan to perform it?
While I don’t think asking questions is going to lead to a perfect surgery and easy recovery, I do know plenty of families who have told us (when something did go wrong) they wished they had been better informed, and asked more questions. It’s not that we don’t trust our doctors, we do. It’s just we ask more questions of the car salesman about engines, and miles to the gallon than we do of the person who is responsible for our lives and wellbeing.
Asking questions isn’t a bad thing. It’s the responsible thing. So ask away!