Patients Often ‘Clam Up’ on Questions About Surgeons, Wall Street Journal Reports
The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday examined how, although "many Web savvy patients today can ask a doctor about minute details of their circulatory system or cancer treatment, when it comes to asking the really tough, personal questions, they often clam up." According to the Journal, when "going under the knife, patients are often too intimidated to ask how qualified a surgeon is or what safety procedures are in place." However, "as complications and errors dog some surgical procedures, experts say it is increasingly crucial for patients to vet their surgeons and take an active role in preventing mistakes," the Journal reports.
Hospitals, state medical boards, medical specialty societies and not-for-profit disease advocacy organizations have begun to offer Web sites, books and lists of questions to "help patients select qualified surgeons, prepare for operations and overcome the fear that often inhibits them from asking tough questions," according to the Journal.
Patients scheduled for surgery should ask about the success rate of their operating surgeons, the number of procedures that their surgeons have performed and whether their surgeons have any personal health issues that would interfere with their ability to complete the operation, according to Thomas Russell, a surgeon and executive director of the American College of Surgeons. Patients also should ask about potential post-operative complications of their surgery, he said (Landro, Wall Street Journal, 1/9).
