A patient sent me this message so I decided to post it. It speaks for itself.
–Caroline
I have many chronic medical conditions that contribute to recurrent wounds. I have chronic heart issues and am wheelchair-bound due to a muscle disease – among other challenges. I have been going to wound centers off and on for many years. I do heal, but months later, I get a new wound. I think I am now an expert at being a wound center patient. I’ve been at this a long time, and I know a great doctor and a great staff when I see one. I also dread having to train new wound care Doctors and wound Care Nurses. Here’s the basic list of what I wish they all knew:
Things I Wish Wound Care Doctors and Nurses Would Consider When They See a Patient:
- Please Touch me – Do Not look at my wound from across the room.
- Please Listen to me – my story will tell you a lot about why I have this problem
- Please Don’t Rush – There are important things I need to tell you and it took a long time for me to get here.
- We are all different – I need a treatment plan that is tailored to my needs and the needs of my wounds.
- Please, Partner with me to find the best treatment plan: If a patient has had a wound before, they probably know what works and does not work for them so ask me what has and has not worked before. As a patient, I will listen to whatever you recommend, but I also know what didn’t work last time.
It seems like the things that matter to a patient would be just “Good Patient Care 101”, but apparently they aren’t.
–Anonymous
Dr. Fife is a world renowned wound care physician dedicated to improving patient outcomes through quality driven care. Please visit my blog at CarolineFifeMD.com and my Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/carolinefifemd/videos
Wow – each pooint on target not just for Wound Care but all Specialities.
Agree with patient. Being a wound care provider and a wound care surgeon / HBO physician is a higher calling. Its an honor and privilege to care for patients needing comprehensive wound management.
Truth and wisdom
This is why the US is now an outlier (ranked last amongst 11 countries), it’s performance falls well below the average of other countries. Far below the two countries ranked directly above it (Switzerland and Canada). This is just another sad testament as to what needs to change in our very broken system. The simple fact that patients feel this way, and they are being treated as such is deplorable. What’s even more upsetting is that so many physicians have fallen into this pattern of complacency fostered by an industry of compliance set in motion long ago. Doctors are no longer allows to be “Doctors”. They are more robotic in their actions than ever befor. Without pointing fingers, at the end of the day, we all know who is responsible for this and what needs to change. Be you’re own advocate.