Increasingly, hospital patients are seen by in-house hospital physicians rather than their own doctors. This switch toward care by hospitalists brings with it new challenges for patients. In this video, Dr. David Sherer, anesthesiologist and author of Bottom Line’s What Your Doctor Isn’t Telling You blog, talks about some of things that people undergoing hospital treatment can do to overcome these challenges. First, he suggests that patients should provide their hospitalist with a card or sheet of paper listing their medications (including supplements), medical problems and history, and regular physicians’ contact information. This will help the hospitalist to provide better care and coordinate with your other doctors. You also should be aware that this hospitalist is primarily concerned with the acute issue that has led to hospitalization, so you and your advocates can help this professional by making him/her aware of any additional medical issues that may complicate your treatment.
David Sherer, MD, is an American physician, inventor, and author. He currently practices anesthesiology in the suburbs of Washington D.C. and is a tireless advocate for hospitalized patients. For more great tips from Dr. Sherer, check out his other videos and Bottom Line blog “What Your Doctor Isn’t Telling You.”
For more with Dr. Sherer, click here for his podcast and video interviews, or purchase his memoir, The House of Black and White: My Life with and Search for Louise Johnson Morris.
