Patients feel alienated, degraded when in the hospital
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
August 29, 2005
An Aug. 16 New York Times article explores the feelings patients have when treated in hospitals. In particular, many patients complain about the lack of personal contact with medical staff and the lack of respect for personal space.In one instance, a cancer patient explains how she was awoken by a physician round where the lead doctor took off her gown without speaking to her first. When he asked if she had recently passed gas, the patient replied sarcastically. Instead of apologizing, the physician bristled at her response.
Patients in surveys have said they appreciate the first-rate medical attention but increasingly feel helpless in the hospital setting. Patients are less likely to report rude or callous staff out of fear of reprisal.
Even the noise of a typical hospital floor can affect a patient's mental well-being and health. A study cited in the article shows that heart patients in hospital rooms with sound-deafening ceiling tiles had better long-term health than those in regular rooms.
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