1. Be actively involved!
The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that in one hospital, 36% of patients suffered injuries caused by the treatment they received. Of those injuries, 25% were serious or life-threatening.

Statistics like that demonstrate the need to choose your hospital and doctors carefully. Look for a hospital with a well established reputation for excellent care and a compassionate medical staff.

2. Opt for out-patient surgery.
Many procedures today can be done on an out-patient basis. For women, a lumpectomy used to require a hospital stay. Today it is commonly done as an out-patient surgery.

For men, an article in the Journal of American Medical Association concludes that the best thing to do for prostate cancer in most cases is nothing! Don’t automatically think surgery. Ask your doctor for all the options. In some cases he may be debating in his own mind whether or not hospitalization is needed. Your positive attitude could just convince him it isn’t.

3. Minimize your hospital stay.
The trend today is to shorten hospital stay in order to save insurance money. So this will not be too difficult.

Let your doctor know that you have arranged home care for your recovery so you won’t need to have an extended hospital stay. Rent a hospital bed if necessary. Hire a visiting nurse. You can even arrange for care at your community rehabilitation center – this is often used by people after hip replacement, heart attacks and heart surgery.

4. Designate one doctor to be "in charge."
When entering the hospital for surgery, you may need more than one specialist for your procedure. But unless one doctor is in charge, you may have several specialists doing “their own things” but no one overseeing your total care.

Choose a generalist, like an internist, to be in charge. Or if you choose a specialist, be sure he or she is knowledgeable in the area of your major problem. Otherwise, one doctor’s treatment might cause harm to another condition that the specialist is unaware of. Someone needs to bear the final responsibility.

5. When it's serious, always ask for a second opinion.
Don’t hesitate – a second opinion is a wise move when your condition is serious. And most doctors expect you to ask for one. Talking with another physician just might give you additional information and a new “slant” on things, even if you opt to follow through with your original doctor.

6. Make friends with the nurses.
When it comes to hospital care, one of your best moves is to make friends with the nurses. They are “running the show.” They have the most direct contact with the patient. Nurses dispense drugs, monitor care and interface with all the other medical personnel.

Treat nurses with respect. Learn their names. Call them by name. Make it clear that you respect them – but you want to know as much as possible about the treatments, tests and medications that are being given. Say “thanks” often. Fresh-baked cookies or tasty fruit can’t hurt either!

7. Be there for your loved one!
When a relative or friend is in the hospital, regular visits just aren’t enough. Arrange for someone to be there around the clock. When staying in the patient’s room is not permitted, then someone should always be in the waiting room.

This extraordinary attention communicates to all the hospital staff that this person is important, many people are concerned about the patient and he or she deserves the very best care.

8. Get out of the hospital ASAP.
Sick people are in hospitals. And they often get sicker by being there. Antibiotic-resistant germs breed in the wards. Sincere but overworking staff can make mistakes. Hospital food may not kill you – but it probably won’t improve your appetite.

Your whole focus, and hopefully that of your doctor, should be for you to leave the hospital as soon and as healthy as possible!