Opinion

Your health is in your hands

By Tony Laszlo

In the film "My Life Without Me," a young mother in her twenties suddenly finds herself in an emergency ward after passing out at home. Disoriented, the woman asks a few questions of the nurses and doctors around her. Much to her frustration and anxiety, she can't get a straight answer. A nurse has "no idea" how long the examinations will take. She wants to know why the doctors are administering yet another ultrasound test but is ignored completely. "Has someone gone to pick up my daughters?" she asks. The doctor sidesteps with a string of his own questions.

It turns out that the doctor was having difficulty informing the woman of the diagnosis: terminal cancer and only a few months left to live. "I can't sit down in front of someone and tell them that they're gonna die," he confesses. The film reminds us that in hospitals all around the world, it is the daily duty of someone to tell patients and their families some awful truth that will drive them to tears. Frankly, I am very happy not to be that person.

At the same time, "My Life Without Me" points a condemning finger at a certain insensitivity on the part of hospital workers. With their health and perhaps even their lives on the line, surely it is the patients who are under the greater stress. Even when asked ridiculous, trivial or tiring questions, it is the obligation of doctors and nurses to accommodate and provide useful information - in all cases.

I recently visited one of Japan's more reputable general hospitals to check up on various pains and aches I was feeling. While everyone was thorough and polite, I was able to identify certain problem points:

Anything to Placate and Persuade. Having complained of chest pains, I soon found myself scheduled for a series of tests including an elaborate and expensive CT scan. "Might it not be simple indigestion?" I asked hopefully. The doctor insisted on the tests. "With chest pains, 75% of the time it's not your heart," he said. I returned to the hospital a few weeks later to learn that I had passed each test with flying colors. "Not heart disease," the doctor said. "You know, 75% of patients with chest pains actually have something other than heart disease." The same line, only backwards!

No Transparency. While carrying my test results from one doctor's room to another, I thought I might have a peek at them along the way. To my surprise, my folder had a hefty padlock on it! My own information, off-limits to me?

Privacy - Not Skin Deep. While preparing for an ultrasound test, I noticed that an image of the previous patient's organs was displayed on a monitor, right where I could see it. I'm no expert, but it sure looked like the poor bloke had a kidney stone. Sure enough, my own test results - with my name clearly visible - also remained on the instrument's screen, presumably until the next patient entered.

What we need is more control over our own health. For starters, be informed and less reliant on hospital workers.

Shukan ST: April 23, 2004

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