Appointment

Patient Guide

Planning a Visit

    1. We understand that  need of every patient is different. Below are few important points and observations which may be valuable to you.
    1. Tips
      1. Post/ Email  short history, important events and Photocopy/scan documents as early as possible
      2. Prefer early morning arrival if possible
      3. Come as early as possible at hospital
      4.  If possible -Do not take anything orally- this may save your time
      5. Tell us your departure time when you arrive
      6. Tell us your financial situation -so we can guide accordingly
      7. Tell us your need, like, dislike
    2. Before appointment
      1. Be clear about
        1. From where you are coming
        2. You know city well or not
        3. At what time you can reach hospital
        4. on which day and what time you have to leave city
    3. Appointment   
      1. Call on  0 98 98 98 96 26
      2. Local ,
      3. Out of City
        1. South Gujarat
        2. Saurastra
        3. Kutch
        4. Uttar Gujarat
        5. other
      4. Out of state
        1. Rajasthan
        2. MPMaharasra
        3. other
      5. International ,
      6. Special problems
      7.  
    4. Driving Direction        
    5. Locations&Facility      
      1. Shiv Shraddha Nursing home.
        1. A101 Kedar Tower, Opp Sukan moll Nr Rajasthan Hospital Shahibaug, Ahmedabad 380004
      2. Apollo Hospital,
        1. At Bhat, Nr Indira bridge, Ahmedabad
    6. Parking           
    7. Map    
    8. Special Assistance     
    9. Amenities & Resources         

           

How to Prepare

At Home

  1. Gather and arrange chronologically  all necessary information and documents
    1. New Case
      1. List of complains
        1. it origin
        2. Duration
        3. Progress
      2. Past history and medical records
        1. Major illness / Associated diseases
          1. Diabetes,Hypertension, Ischemic heart disease, Asthma, Allergy,bleeding tendency, Operation
      3. Family history
    2. Second Openion
      1. Slides and Blocks
      2. FNAC, Biopsy, Histopathology report,
      3. ER, PR,Her2New report
      4. X ray and sonography
      5. CT Scan, PET scan, MRI
      6. Medical Records
      7. Family History
    3.  Keep a photocopies in case you lose original

 

  1. Come Early and Fill out paperwork -Be sure to complete them   in waiting room
    1. a medication list,
    2.  patient history form,
    3. or questionnaire about your illness.
  2. Review maps and directions  , especially if your are unfamiliar.
    1. See planning of visit for  places to eat, places to stay, driving directions and parking details 
  3. Think about the questions you want to ask.
    1. Write it down- You may forgot it
    2. Discuss with friends or relatives- if needed

On the day of your appointment

What to bring

    1. Please make sure you have with you the items listed above 

Arriving for your appointment

    1. Please plan to check in at least 30 minutes before your appointment time.

How long will the visit take

    1. Each case is different but generally You should plan to spend two to three hours for your   visit.

What your visit includes

    1. You will meet with the doctor, who will review your medical records and health history and do physical examination. He will answer  questions and discuss treatment options, 

Getting the most out of your visit

 Tips to guide  

Be cool- do not hurry.

Share your fears and concerns,

      1. One by one - date by date
      2. Keep written note- very easy , accurate and fast

Ask questions : That is key

Have a list 

    1. Have a someone who can support you- .
      1.  They may help you make better choices when you meet with your doctor 
    2. Listen carefully.
      1.  
      2. Take notes when your doctor   explains something, or ask someone to do so.
      3.  You may  bring along
        1. a notebook and pen, voice recorder, laptop computer etc
        2. You will need  permission from your doctor, If you'd like to record it.
    1. Bring your ID cards.
    2. Drugs you take.
      1. Make a list of all medications you take
      2. and any allergies you have.
      3. Update this list often 
      4. share with your doctor.
    3. Be in time
      1. Have enough time for delays in  traffic  and parking.
      2.  Checking in at least 30 minutes before your  appointment 

Before leaving hospital

    1. Summarize what you understand.
    2. Understand what steps you need to take.
    3. Understand which sequence is better.
    4. Know when to meet next
    5. Know when and how to communicate - if needed
    6. Rethink- question still need to be ask
    7. See all medical records are with you
    8. See all your valuables are with you.

 

  1. Have a approval from your insurance company or company .
    1. If your operation will be paid  by health insurance, Inform/Discuss with your agent or company

 

Tell your doctor if you:

  1. change in your breasts. or   lump 
  2.  any nipple discharge or  change in the way your nipples look
  3.   inverted nipples - nipples that sink into the breast,   - notice a change when your nipple becomes inverted,
  4. pain in one breast,and relation with menstrual cycle
  5. Are or might be  pregnant
  6. breast-feeding.
  7. breast implants.
  8. History of biopsy
  9. Menopause.
  10. Hormone replacement therapy
  11. personal or history of breast or ovarian cancer in near relatives

  Talking with Your Doctor

 
 

 How much do you want to know?"

  1.  Full Details
  2. wants all the facts.
  3.  a general overview with simple directions 

Asking questions

  Questions you may ask

  1. What's wrong with me?
    1. If cancer, then
      1. what is it type- does it affect treatment option and prognosis
      2. Does it spread to lymph nodes or internal organs
      3. Stage - Prognosis 
      4. Test needed before treatment
      5. Role of  genetic testing 
  2.  
  3. what are options?
    1. Duration of treatment
    2. Where it will be done
  4. What treatment do you recommend? Why? 
  5. What are the benefits of these treatments? 
  6. What are the risks? 
  7. What drugs are you giving me?  why ? 
  8. How should I expect to feel during treatment?
  9.  Any physical limitations?
  10. What care I need to take?
  11. What food I have to avoid? 
  12. What side effects, I expect to have?
  13. Breast reconstruction -
    1. Advantage , Disadvantage
    2. When
    3. Look and sensation
  1. Other
    1. need of blood transfusion
    2. Special Diet
    3. Lifestyle change
    4. Recovery time
    5. Effect of treatment on menstrual cycle
    6. able to have a children after treatment
    7. Chance of recurrence and treatment
    8. Clinical trial
    9. Are my records shared? 
    10.  
  2. Follow up plan
  3. Can I carry on working or caring for my family?
  4.  If you have feeling of low or hopelessness, tell  this to your doctor. 

 

 

 

Your Role- Shared decision making, 

Shared decision-making is “a process in which patients are involved as active
partners with the clinician in clarifying acceptable medical options and in
choosing a preferred course of clinical care”

We encourage  patients to play an active role in decisions so treatment and disease management are  tailored to the individual taking their preferences into account.

Sharing is a two-way exchange between the patient and the professional.  The health professional acts as the expert and shares medical information while patients about his or her social circumstances, attitudes to illness and risk, values and preferences. These factors may have a strong influence on  the appropriateness of treatment and should be accepted.. Knowledge of relevant cultural beliefs and the specific patient’s modeling systems can help a physician in individualizing treatment.

Communication is more than a simple transfer of information it is Understanding of emotion, satisfaction, rapport,  empathy etc are among many  factors involved.

 
We attempt to learn what the patient expects and help shape those expectations to match the physician’s intention. If there is mismatch between  patient expectations than those the physician is attempting to communicate, then we  needs to  eliminate this ‘expectation gap.’

 Hopes and wishful thinking of patient introduce an unconscious dissonance between the patient’s understanding of  expected outcome and what the physician says. We try to provide patients with realistic expectations in this era of informatics and glamorization that tends to create unrealistic expectations.

 Also accepted is the patient’s shared responsibility for the decision and for any risks taken

 

Other concerns

If you ever have a problem that you cannot solve with your doctor, nurse or other caregiver, please contact Patient Relations. Our patient relations representatives will work with you to address concerns about your treatment
patient’s expectation of the course of recovery, their role in it, and the potential outcome matches the surgeon’s. Such a model would maximize patient participation and minimize disappointments and risk. It provides surgeons the opportunity to optimize the treatment program for that patient, develop rapport, and earn the patient’s trust. The result is to maximize patient satisfaction

Health Care Proxy- Your Voice in Health Care Decisions

Take time to name your health care agent

In all health care decisions 

  1.  patient's voice and opinion are of most importance.
  2.  part of your basic rights as a patient.
  3. Situations -  sometimes arise that when you can not take decisions about your care.
  4. it is up to  you to decide what is important to you about your care
  5.  communicate your wishes to  family and friends and your health care providers.

We  encourages all patients to prepare a health care proxy This   will identify the person you have chosen to express your wishes for your health care ift you become unable to speak.

  1. A health care proxy is an example of an "advance directive"
  2.  It is a legal document that names the person you have selected 
  3. It is someone you can trust
  4. it is impossible to anticipate future events under which complex medical decisions  need to be made.
  5. questions about your wishes may  arise especially in serious illness. 
  6. One who can communicate your values and preferences,
    1.  who will make sure that your wishes about health care are heard.
    2. takes effect only after  you are unable to make or to communicate decisions about your health care.
    3. Lost effect once you can take decision
    4. You can name one primary and another secondary
    5. You can change name at any time

Insurance and Finance

Understanding your insurance policy

It is vital to read and understand your policy as each insurance policy is different.  Each plan have different  amount of coverage for exams and procedures. Paperwork and authorization are needed by most insurance companies.
 
To to minimize your out-of-pocket expenses it is important for you to know these details..Regardless of what their insurance policy covers   patients are fully responsible for all bills related to treatment
 
Contact your insurance company to find out the specifics about your policy,   They should be able to tell you  coverage for care , as well as what will be your financial responsibility. 

Fix your problem

To prevent patient and relative dissatisfaction we have  patient relation team. They will help to fix your problem. If you have a problem that you cannot solve   please contact   Patient Relations team.  . Our ultimate goal is prevent problem before it occurs.
 

Navigator 

Those who are new to medical world  it sometimes hard to understand the information you get from your health care providers. Naturally you would  like to have more support. 
 
We can help you take care of your health. We  listen to your concerns and understand your needs. 

We can help in many ways.
 
You may be facing many challenges right now.  Little extra care and guidance can save your time energy any money.

Patients Safety Information   

Medication safety

As a patient  , you may receive medications.  The healthcare team who take care of you will do everything they can to keep you safe. But medication errors can happen even in the best hospitals,. Studies show that because of mistakes with prescribed drugs.  up to 7 percent of inpatients are injured. Healthcare is a team effort, and everyone including you you are an important member of the team. You and your family can play important role in preventing  medication errors.

Before treatment

 To make sure new prescriptions don't cause problems doctors need information.

During treatment

 Make sure you get the right medication at the right time.

After treatment

 .

 

Disability

 Let us know if you need any special help so we can guide or arrange according to patient need.

Interpreters

If you need interpreter lut us know so if possible we may arrange for one

Language commonly used

    • Flow of action that take less time or money and more work done
    • Helping you to arrange for tests or other appointments
    • Information you need  to know about procedures or treatments
    1.  carry a list of all medications(Have a medication) you take,
      1.  including  vitamins,over-the-counter drugs, and herbal  
    2. Let us know  about
      1. any reactions or allergies you have in the past
      2. Other Diseases you have.
    3. Ask and learn
      1. medications you'll take during treatment.
      2. Ask
        1. what they do,
        2. ow and when you should take them
        3.  and what to do if you miss a dose.
        4.   possible side effects
          1.  what you should do if you have them.
    4. Ask if you should keep taking your usual medications in addition to the new ones.
    1. Let us know  if f a medication looks different, or the routine changes.
    2. Medication should be given after confirming  your  ID,full name
    3. Whenever  a nurse gives you any medication, ask what it is. 
    4. Take only those medicine which your doctor or nurse practitioner has prescribed or approved.
    5. Contact your doctor or nurse if you have any problem
    6. Take help of a relative or friend.
    1.  Review  the list of medications to  take with your doctor. 
    2. Know  what to expect. Inform  if you have any unexpected symptoms.
    3. Don't discontinue  or change the dosage yourself
    4. Ask questions when you don't understand  or  doesn't seem right. 
    5.  Before combining over-the-counter drugs with your prescription medicine ask the doctor.
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