Questions that can save your life

According to a study by the Institute of Medicine, 44,000 to 98,000 Americans die every year from medical mistakes. This number makes medical errors one of the leading causes of death. The Joint Commission reports that the most common medical mistakes are wrong-site surgery, delay in treatment, post-op complications and medication errors.

While medical mistakes can happen at any given time, better communication on the patient’s part can help drastically.

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, there are 10 questions that every patient should ask when being treated by a health care provider. They are:

What is the test for?

How many times have you done this procedure?
When will I get the results?
Why do I need this treatment?
Are there any alternatives?
What are the possible complications?
Which hospital is best for my needs?
How do you spell the name of that drug?
Are there any side effects?

Will this medicine interact with medicines that I'm already taking?

These simple questions can make you as a patient feel better and can even save your life.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.
2200 E Camelback Road
Suite 213
Phoenix, AZ 85016
602-224-0005