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Health care responsibility is the act of taking control of the health care that you receive. Why do you need health care responsibility? There are three key answers to that question: Mistakes are prevalent, the United States health care is ranked poorly and your life is on the line.

Author:
Raymond M Lengel

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Health Care Responsibility

Health care responsibility is the act of taking control of the health care that you receive. Why do you need health care responsibility? There are three key answers to that question: Mistakes are prevalent, the United States health care is ranked poorly and your life is on the line.

Mistakes run rampant in today?s health care system. The Institute of Medicine reports that 44,000 to 98,000 people die each year in the hospital due to medical mistakes. It is estimated that 1.5 million people are admitted to the hospital and 100,000 deaths occur every year because of adverse drug reactions.

Health care statistics for the United States are dismal, ranking us as the 37th best health care system in the world below such countries as Malta (#5), Oman (# 8), Columbia (#22), Morocco (#29), and Costa Rica (#36). There is no reason for these health care statistics to be this poor in a country where the best doctors, hospitals and researchers reside.

Statistics are so poor because of the way the health care system is set up. Doctor are forced to see too many patients each day and do not have time to fully evaluate the needs of each of their patients.

This is especially true for the older American. Older Americans are afflicted with multiple chronic diseases, which require a lot of attention. In addition, preventative health care is critical in the older population. Health care interventions such as routine vaccinations, cancer screenings and bone density examinations prevent disease, prevent disability from disease and catch diseases in their early stages when they are more easily treated.

Pneumonia and the flu account for approximately 50,000-80,000 deaths each year. Vaccinations for these two common infections can reduce the death rates approximately 50-80%. Those most severely afflicted are adults over the age of 65. Unfortunately, only 54% of adults are vaccinated against pneumonia and 66% are vaccinated against influenza.

Your life is on the line. In order to prevent yourself from being a statistic, you need to take responsibility for your health care. While the government is working to improve the efficacy of the health care system with interventions such as the electronic medical record and legislation to improve the outcomes of care, it will take time for these to have an impact.

Instead of looking to the health care system and the government to improve the health care system, look within yourself. The resources to get great health care are available; you just need to go get them. If you come into health care setting prepared you will get the best health care this country has to offer.

Knowledge, organization, and communication are the keys to getting great health care. Be knowledgeable about your health and disease through organization of your health records and know how to communicate with the health care system. If everyone practiced this principle, the United States would be ranked much higher than number 37 and the number of medical errors would be significantly fewer.

Raymond M. Lengel is a family nurse practitioner that lives in Cleveland, Ohio. Specializing in care of the older adult, he has worked in the health care field for twelve years. His new book, Health Care Responsibility: The Older Adult?s Guide to Surviving the Health Care System, is available for 14.95 in most bookstores or on HCR Books website at http://www.hcrbooks.com.

About Author

Ray Lengel is a family nurse practitioner and the author of a new book, Health Care Responsibility: The Older Adult?s Guide to Surviving the Health Care System. Visit his website at http://www.hcrbooks.com .

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Source: http://medicaltips.org/2012/03/04/health-care-responsibility/

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