In the local hospital, joint replacement patients go through a what-to-expect pre-op class. The nurse running the class suggested making an offering to the nurses, and that chocolate is the ideal currency. Of course, she was jesting, but I have to tell you it’s a good idea.
I had my wife go to Good’s, the local chocolatier, to get a nice box of butter cremes, half in dark chocolate and half in milk chocolate, gift-wrapped, to take to the nurses’ station on the 4th floor.
Do hospitals have any kind of quality control in place, and if so, what role would that be? Case manager?
I ask because on two separate occasions, I’ve had them screw up medications when the lists were presented in very readable format to the doctor - who then botched the orders. This does not comfort me.
On a related question: I’ve heard there are panels that review outcomes to see if they were “appropriate” - e.g. John Doe came in with a hangnail and 48 hours later he was dead, that kind of thing might go up before a board (whereas someone who fell 50 feet and died after 48 hours in the ICU would generally need little discussion).
Are there in fact such panels? If so, what causes a case to be brought up before one?
Presumably if I’d died due to failure to give me my medication, that might have gone up before such a panel, though at that point I’d be beyond caring!!