When you are a patient, it gives you a better perspective of healthcare. I had recent outpatient surgery. There was a real deficiency in the instruction process. It got me to thinking about how to improve, both my own practice, and the deficiency in our current system, generally.
I did not have a general, but a local and some Versed and Fentanyl. I was awake throughout, but high as a kite in recovery. The nurse first handed me a written sheet, which had the protocol of a different doctor. It talked about a splint, etc, and I asked about this. She said, oh we don't have your doctor's protocol yet (I'd had this surgeon before and followed him to his new clinical site).
On DC, the nurse read the DC instructions verbatim. My friend was there with me. It basically went through one ear and out the other. I really liked my nurse by the way, she was very nice.
On reading the instructions at home I found them basically useless, even aside from the fact that the protocol was different. These information sheets seem to be packed with too much irrelevant information. It seems that we rely, too much, on a one sized fits all, click of a button print out that seems to be designed to protect us legally, but not the most effective for actual teaching.
In the ER where I work, we also rely on these types of instruction sheets. For instance, we have a general, abdominal pain one. It's packed with so much general information, covering every type of possibility, as to be useless. I always let the patient know that not everything on the sheet pertains to them. I try to customize my instructions for their situation. But, verbal instructions given to someone who just got opiates aren't really reliable. Their designated driver is probably not paying much attention either.
I did let my dear surgeon know, on my follow up, that I was very confused by what to do after surgery, he said others have told him the same. And, when I had called the office, they had told me that my Dr wasn't in that day, and the person who answered actually gave me incorrect advise, I found out. Our system is so rushed, I think that's the root of the problem.
