AVOID MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE

***THREE WAYS TO AVOID MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE***

Each year, 1.5 million Americans get sick . . . or even die . . . because they get the wrong prescription. And up to 98,000 people die in hospitals because of medical errors. So here are three things you can do to avoid being the victim of medical negligence . . .

#1.) CHECK YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS. Researchers reviewed 4,000 prescriptions and found that over 12 percent of them had been filled incorrectly! And one of the main reasons . . . is that doctors have HORRENDOUS handwriting.

--So ask your doctor to CLEARLY write the name of your medication, the dosage, and the frequency on a separate piece of paper. Then when you get the prescription filled, compare that information to the info on the label.

#2.) FIND HOSPITAL WORKERS THAT GET ENOUGH SLEEP. A recent medical study found that you're more likely to get an infection at a hospital if the employees work more than eight hours and 45 minutes a day.

--So before scheduling a procedure or an operation, call the directors of nursing at a few hospitals in your area, and find out how long the nurses are allowed to work each day. It's not the ONLY thing to think about when choosing a hospital, but it's one of them.

#3.) GET PERSONAL. Scientists found that when doctors reviewed CT scans from files that included a PHOTO OF THE PATIENT, they wrote more detailed notes about the case.

--Snapshots may help doctors feel a connection to you, so personalize YOUR file by providing a photo they'll see every time they open it up. (WomensHealthMag.com)