Disgraceful patient care is never acceptable
My wife is a cancer patient and what happened to her recently should be a lesson to all caregivers.
She normally receives her treatment in Massachusetts, but because we were headed to Florida for a few months, we decided to see if we could arrange a program where she could receive her cancer drugs in Florida. We did the research and found a highly regarded doctor.
This doctor is associated with a large for-profit group and she agreed to work with us. Our first encounter was an eye-opener in that the actual treatment area was overwhelmed with patients. Patients were seated side-by-side in four bays of about 12 chairs each. There was no separation between chairs and absolutely no privacy.
Many of these patients remained in these chairs for hours as they receive their chemo drugs, and there seemed to be no concern for their individual dignity. There was no space for family or friends who accompanied the patient to sit with them and whose role is to provide comfort and support as they undergo serious and often frightening therapy.
My wife is a nurse and she has been going through these treatments for more than four years, and the utter lack of respect for her and the others brought tears to her eyes for the first time.
Our second visit was even worse! Patients were issued paper adhesive strips with their names and were told to prominently display them on their chest. I mentioned to the doctor that their system of identifying patients was archaic and humiliating. She replied she didn’t see the problem since it was a cancer facility and they were all cancer patients anyway.
As I sat in the waiting room there were scores of staff who accompanied patients who didn’t have these tags, and I felt embarrassed for the patients who sat there so easily identified.
Last but not least, I witnessed a lab technician publicly scold an elderly man for not hearing a request for him to come to the drawing station. The man was hearing-impaired and was caring for his wife who obviously was an Alzheimer’s patient. He was scolded in front of about 30 people.
If I was still a hospital CEO and this was my facility, I would have fired the tech on the spot or at the very least put him on warning.
Caregivers should always remember that each patient deserves respect, compassionate care, preservation of their dignity, and privacy.
The nurses who administered the drugs were apologetic about the setting and did everything they could to compensate for the situation.
As a starting point, I will convey my dissatisfaction to our doctor.
Patients can feel intimidated when it comes to complaining about those who should be caring for them. But patients need to realize that they should speak up when “care” is unacceptable.
Trust me, the patient next in line will thank you.
Mike Daly blogs regularly at Action for Better Healthcare.
