More Hospital Tips - by Glenn Harlan Reynolds

From an insider - Glenn Harlan Reynolds

Last night’s “hospital tips” post brought this from a physician at a fancy hospital who doesn’t want me to use his name. (See the final, sad, sentence.) 

Lots of good stuff here:

• I have been an ICU doc for over 30 years. When it is clear to me that a patient is going to be in the ICU for more than a few days, I have talk with the family member who has been around the most (this person is often NOT the power of attorney).

1. Take care of yourself - unless things are really bad, you should go home and sleep in your own bed. If things are really bad, you should create a schedule of shifts with family/friends.
2. Get a pen/pencil and a pad of paper (I used to hand these out before the electronic medical record). Write down your questions whenever they occur to you. Most people think of their most important questions about five minutes after I have left. They should write down their questions whenever they occur to them...