News

Lessons from TV's ER

Bringing a family member or friend along for a visit to the doctor can help ensure better, safer care

BY RYAN SIDORCHUK
Winnipeg Health Region
Wave, May / June 2009

It's not uncommon for Hollywood to play fast and loose with the facts in order to tell a good story, especially when it comes to medical shows.

But every now and then, the serial dramas we watch on television do have something to say about the way society functions. A recent episode of the venerable television show ER is a case in point.

In the show, Dr. John Carter (played by Noah Wyle) is about to undergo a kidney transplant. A friend and former colleague, Dr. Peter Benton (played by Eriq La Salle), insists on accompanying Carter into the operating room - more as a friend than as a physician - to keep an eye on things.

In the event, Dr. Benton spots some procedural errors on the part of the well-respected surgeon doing the operation, which results in Dr. Carter's life being saved. While the notion of one doctor second-guessing another is played out for dramatic effect in the show, the scene underscores an important point about health care: mistakes happen, and it can be helpful to have someone around to look out for your interests.

Now, of course, not all of us can call on a sharp-eyed doctor to be our second when we interact with the medical system. But the fact is Benton was acting more as a friend than as a physician when he insisted on following Carter through the process.

And therein lies the point. I would argue that when it comes to health care, bringing someone for a visit to the doctor or the hospital may be the single most important thing you can do to ensure the best outcome possible. Yet, most of us are reluctant to do so.

To be sure, none of this is intended to be a criticism of the individuals working in our health-care system. But while caring and competent staff perform medical miracles every day, inadvertent harm also occurs on an almost daily basis. Research suggests that nearly 24,000 people die every year in Canada from missteps in the planning and/or delivery of treatments intended to manage or cure a condition, rather than from the underlying condition itself.

The reasons for this are fairly clear yet confounding: the provision of health care has become increasingly complex; patients often have more than one illness; patients are in a natural state of heightened vulnerability, physically and emotionally, which means they are often not in the best position to provide or absorb information for decision-making. The importance of having a second set of trusted eyes and ears to listen to what is being discussed, and to give voice to questions or concerns on our behalf that might arise from what is being explained, cannot be overstated.

Let's face it, as patients we are often slow to complain or make waves in pursuit of more comfortable, higher-quality care from our own unique and relative perspective. Whether it's an extra pillow to help us sleep, a fundamental aspect of our healing and health; a glass of cool water, to help keep our throat comfortable; or assistance getting to the bathroom so that we don't fall and expose ourselves to further injury, we do not often speak up for ourselves.

The interesting thing about this is that when we are put in a position of being a friend or loved one of a patient, we have no similar reluctance to give voice to concerns on their behalf. When we have that trusted friend or loved one walking with us, that person can supportively advocate on our behalf for the things we need to help us heal.

Yet another level of support can be offered by this friend and advocate by helping to monitor the care plan put in place for your recovery. Whether it's a complex list of daily medications, waiting on the results of crucial tests, or helping us to monitor and talk through our emotional responses to the physical challenges we may be facing, the effect of a caring and competent advocate for our well-being can be the difference between a speedy recovery and an unnecessarily prolonged battle with injury or disease. Just as importantly, they can help us and the care team treating us avoid experiencing a terrible tragedy in the form of an unintended accident causing inadvertent harm. They can help us form questions, understand answers, and hear what is actually being said. When difficult news is delivered, we can go into a bit of a haze, not really hearing the details or content of what is being said after words such as "cancer" or "heart disease" are uttered by our care providers.

We may be of the personal opinion that the health-care system is responsible to perform all of these duties. But we also need to acknowledge the challenges we face in society regarding the complex nature of health care coupled with the scarcity of health-care resources.

Such advocacy needn't be limited to those we know. Many of us struggle with the fact that so many people do not have a friend or family member to advocate on their behalf.

Without doubt, the health-care system and, by extension, society at large will have increasing situations where patients in hospital, clients in the community, and residents in personal care homes will be without a vocal advocate working on their behalf and well-being. We, all of us, have little internal struggle when it comes to standing up for our loved ones. My challenge to us all is to stand up for a stranger when the situation seems to call for it. Happy Advocacy!

Ryan Sidorchuk is Leader, Patient Voice Facilitation for the Winnipeg Health Region.

	About Wave Wave is published six times a year by the Winnipeg Health Region in cooperation with the Winnipeg Free Press. It is available at newsstands, hospitals and clinics throughout Winnipeg, as well as McNally Robinson Books. Read the May / June 2009 issue of Wave