Accommodations You May Ask For To Improve A Medical Visit

A visit to the doctor’s office may already be an anxiety inducing experience for you which can be worsened by disabilities or cultural differences you may have that have caused you to make concessions in the past to visit a provider.  You should not have to do that and you can make your doctors visit a more comfortable experience for yourself by requesting certain accommodations be made.  

Requesting certain accommodations may make your visit less stressful for you, but they should also not leave you feeling complacent.  You should remain vigilant in making sure to ask the right questions, double and triple check medications with your nurses, and talk with your provider to make sure she/he has the right credentials for performing any procedures.  Doing your due diligence will be an added layer of protection against possible Connecticut medical malpractice.

When you visit a doctor’s office or other medical providers there are certain “accepted” behaviors that are commonplace.  However, if these activities do not mesh with your expectations you can work with your provider to have them changed to accommodate your needs and beliefs.  Here are five things you can and should ask for if you are visiting a provider:

1. An interpreter.  If English is not your first language you may want an interpreter, a friend, or relative present there to help translate the doctors instructions.
2. The gender of your provider.  If you are not comfortable being seen by a provider of one gender, it is well within your rights to make that request, in a hospital setting.
3. Decide who is in the room with you.  As the patient it is your right to have whomever you want in the room with you or to keep anyone you don’t want in the room, out of it.
4. Control over your body.  It is your right to refuse a test, leave a hospital, or request a test whether it is being medically advised or not.
5. Emotional and spiritual support.  If you’re at a hospital there is often a chaplain on staff, if not you may want to bring in your own support.  You are entitled to do this and you should.

Whether you are visiting your primary care physician, a specialist, or are in the hospital for a procedure, you are entitled to ask for and receive these accommodations.  As a patient your stress and anxiety levels can have an impact on the care that you get and anything you can do to reduce that should be welcomed by your provider.  

When you are in a medical setting, a deviation from the standard of care may be considered a Connecticut medical malpractice claim.  If you are not comfortable in that setting it is more likely that mistakes will be made and you will experience a lasting injury.  It is important for your accommodations to be met to allow you a safe and healthy experience.

If you’ve been injured as a result of a medical procedure, you may want to speak with an attorney.  Our doctor/attorney and nurse/attorney can investigate your case through both a medical and legal lens.  Contact our office and we can begin today.