In his monthly column, Dr. Kent Herbert answers your questions related to health care matters. Simply submit your question to stefaniw@newfalconherald.com. It’s your chance to ask the doc.Question: I am having surgery soon, and I am concerned about a mistake being made. What can I do to avoid this?Answer: Medical errors are sometimes high profile, such as a surgeon operating on the wrong leg or transplanting the wrong organ into the wrong patient. Most medical errors are subtler but can be just as dangerous. As surprising as it sounds, medical errors are one of the leading causes of death in the United States.It is estimated that each year more than 98,000 people die due to medical errors. Many of these errors occur in the hospital, but can just as easily happen with routine medical care. The key to avoiding medical errors is to take an active role in your health care and to be well-informed about treatment you undertake. The most important way you can prevent errors is to be an active member of your health care team. This means taking part in every decision about your health care, from making careful decisions about what over-the-counter medications you take to helping decide what prescriptions you are given to weighing the risks and benefits of any surgery that is considered. Research shows the more involved one is in their medical decision-making, the better results they get and the fewer complications they experience. A few simple rules will allow one to do this.First, it is important all of your doctors know about everything you are taking, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, as well as dietary supplements, such as vitamins and herbs. If you are seeing more than one doctor, such as a primary care physician and a specialist, make sure each knows what the other is prescribing. It is a good idea to start each appointment by reviewing all medications you take and to include new vitamins or supplements that you may have started. Many people assume one doctor will have communicated to the other this information, but this is not always the case.With every new medicine you are prescribed, make sure you know how to take it and for how long. It is also important to know what side effects may occur, how likely they are and what to do if they occur. It is also a good idea to ask if the medicine is safe to take with other medicines – both prescription and over-the-counter – or with dietary supplements. It is your doctor’s job to consider these factors in deciding on a medicine and it is their responsibility to explain the risks and benefits of a proposed treatment. Research tells us that many doctors assume you already know these things, so time isn’t taken to explain them.If your doctor writes you a prescription, make sure you can read it. People expect doctors to have bad handwriting, but many medical errors occur because the prescription is not legible. If you can’t read your doctor’s handwriting, your pharmacist may not be able to either. Make sure the instructions are clear and that you understand them. For example, a medicine that is taken four times a day may be different than one taken every six hours, and it is always a good idea to clarify with your doctor or pharmacist what is best. Studies show that 88 percent of medical errors occur because the wrong medicine is taken, the dose is not right or the instructions are not clear and it is taken incorrectly. These issues can be avoided with careful questioning.Remember that you always have a choice in your health care decisions. More is not always better in health care, and sometimes your condition will resolve on its own. It may be better to avoid treatments. If you do accept a treatment, make sure the risks and benefits are clearly explained and you understand the proposed treatment. Above all, choose health care providers you trust and that you feel comfortable asking questions. If you feel your doctor does not take time to answer your questions or does not address your concerns, find one who does. It is important to trust their decision-making; but, in an increasingly complicated health care system, it is more important to be an active part of the team making decisions regarding your health. By doing so, you can reduce or eliminate your risk of being affected by a medical error.Dr. Kent HerbertBoard-Certified Family PhysicianFalcon Family Medicine7641 McLaughlin RoadFalcon, CO 80831(719) 494-2006(719) 494-8448 faxwww.FalconFamilyMedicine.com
