{"id":4122,"date":"2020-09-14T14:58:12","date_gmt":"2020-09-14T19:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/?p=4122"},"modified":"2020-09-14T14:58:13","modified_gmt":"2020-09-14T19:58:13","slug":"increase-your-chances-of-a-good-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/increase-your-chances-of-a-good-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"Increase Your Chances of a Good Recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Increase your chances of a good recovery. Hospital discharge\nis a vulnerable time for a patient and one that\u2019s rife with miscommunication.\nHow can you increase your chances of a good recovery?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different frames of reference coupled with broad, ambiguous recommendations mean that health messages are often misunderstood or interpreted in ways that surprise those making the recommendation. Last month, I weighed in on a discussion regarding hospital discharge instructions. Communicating discharge instructions effectively can have a significant impact on a patient\u2019s recovery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Discharge is known to be a vulnerable point in making a successful transition to a different location and level of care. With limited visitors currently allowed in hospitals due to Covid-19, patients are often alone when receiving oral discharge instructions. The absence of another set of ears leaves patients even more vulnerable to one of the unplanned re-hospitalizations<\/a> that cost Medicare over $17 billion annually. While cost to the system is a factor, as patients we just want the best chance to recover as quickly and fully as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goals of patients, physicians, and hospitals often align at the time of discharge and yet according to one study, those goals are not met almost 20% of the time. There are many factors we as patients cannot control, but that does not mean we are helpless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 10 things you can do to increase your chances of a good recovery:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1)Have an advocate present when receiving discharge instructions.<\/strong> If visitation rules don\u2019t allow you to bring someone with you in person, a video phone call can be a good option.  A voice call will also work and is best done in real time while the instructions are being delivered to the patient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do not have family or a close friend available, request\na patient advocate. Your hospital will most likely have at least one on staff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2)Ask questions. Do not worry about wasting someone\u2019s time or sounding silly and do not assume your question is stupid. <\/strong>We all sometimes misspeak or mishear things. And, many smart, competent, well-intentioned professionals are not skilled communicators. Clarification is good. Repetition may be necessary. Knowing the why may make the what easier to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3)Request resources.<\/strong> If you need help navigating financial options and insurance coverage, ask that resources to assist with those be included in written doctor’s orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4)Get wellness support.<\/strong> A change in health conditions may mean a need for additional time for physical activity, mindfulness activities, support groups, or counseling. Other support services like housecleaning, babysitting, school pick-ups, or food preparation may be needed to free up time for wellness support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5)Get another opinion.<\/strong> If you want to get another opinion about long-term or follow-up treatment, make a temporary plan with your doctor that will be reflected in any written discharge orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6)Request time to research.<\/strong> If there is no emergency and you are not sure which treatment option to pursue, ask for a temporary plan then schedule a time for a follow-up visit. Allow yourself time to read about up on all of the options available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure to use reputable sources<\/em><\/strong> like the National Institutes of Health<\/a>, The Center for Disease Contro<\/a>l and Prevention, The New England Journal of Medicine<\/a><\/em>, The Lance<\/em>t<\/a>, and The Journal of the American Medical Association<\/em> <\/a>(JAMA) for your research. Social media sites are not reliable sources of information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7)Ask for a referral.<\/strong> If your research leads you to a physician\/facility that specializes in treatment of your diagnosis that is not offered by your current doctor or hospital, request a referral to a new doctor and\/or facility and sign a form allowing the release of your records to the new facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8)Make sure treatment plans match your values and goals.<\/strong> If you and your doctor are not on the same page regarding desired outcome and the best way to achieve it, you will not be successful. Insist that you play a part in developing a plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9)Follow the plan.<\/strong> Once you and your doctor agree on a treatment plan, follow it. Period. No plan will be successful if you don\u2019t follow it. (If you develop reservations about the plan, continue treatment until your follow-up visit or call your doctor and work out a revised plan.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10)Give feedback.<\/strong> When you receive a survey about your experience, provide specific answers. This may not speed your current recovery, but it will help you and other patients in the long run. Your experience is valuable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes getting sick is unavoidable, but a few simple steps is all it takes to increase your chances of a good recovery.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Increase your chances of a good recovery. Hospital discharge is a vulnerable time for a patient and one that\u2019s rife with miscommunication. How can you increase your chances of a good recovery? Different frames of reference coupled with broad, ambiguous recommendations mean that health messages are often misunderstood or interpreted in ways that surprise those … Continue reading “Increase Your Chances of a Good Recovery”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2538],"tags":[2942,2944,2941,2945,2943],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4122"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4122"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4131,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4122\/revisions\/4131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}