When people get infected with COVID-19 and end up in the hospital for extended periods, it can cause them to have a near-death experience unlike any other. Just imagine being a patient lying in the intensive care unit of a hospital for weeks or even months. All you have is your thoughts to keep you preoccupied, and they are not good ones.
Hospitals have tried to establish a more positive reputation for themselves, especially regarding patient satisfaction. That is why they’ve increased the size of the patient rooms and added more amenities, such as television and culinary-style food. It is a far cry from the 20th-century hospital experience that consisted of frozen dinners and no television.
However, patients are still very unhappy at modern hospitals. Not only that, but they have become more dangerous too. Let’s explore why below.
The Dangers of Staying at a Hospital
Patients get scared when they have to go to a hospital because it means something is seriously wrong with them. They are usually in great pain as well.
Meanwhile, they have many different people around them dressed in solid blue, white or green uniforms. And with the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, every hospital worker has to wear a mask over their face. Patients never even get to see the faces of human beings anymore because they are all covered with masks.
Furthermore, the social distancing requirements keep patients isolated from their friends and family members who can no longer see them. So the only people the patients see are the nurses and doctors with their faces covered. And on top of that, the patient has to be around bright lights and constant noise all day.
Does any of this sound like fun? Of course not. Patients are basically treated like hardened prisoners and placed in solitary confinement during their entire stay at the hospital. The only good experience is the possibility of a nurse or doctor showing empathy to a patient. But if they don’t have that experience, there are no good experiences.
So what should be done? Should doctors and medical professionals only focus on providing a better patient experience in hospitals? Maybe there is another way to handle this situation.
Hospital Prevention
It is nearly impossible to remedy the hospital experience at this point. So, wouldn’t it be better to focus more on hospital prevention? If we can create a medical system that focuses more on outpatient care than inpatient care, maybe we wouldn’t need to rely on hospitals so much.
Of course, the ultimate outpatient care is preventive care. If people could take the appropriate steps to avoid developing severe health conditions, they wouldn’t have to worry about going to the hospital in the first place. A perfect example of that is the coronavirus and the controversy over getting vaccinated.
Between 40% to 50% of Americans don’t want to get vaccinated for various reasons. Many people believe in the conspiracy theories about vaccines being bad for them, even though the opposite is true.
As a result, a significant number of anti-vaxxers have ended up in the hospital because they chose not to get vaccinated. Then they get to experience the misery of staying in a hospital for a month or two. Within that time, they feel deep regret about not getting vaccinated.
Do you want to end up in the hospital filled with regret? If not, you should take every precaution necessary to keep yourself out of a hospital. These precautions include:
- Make regular appointments to see your primary care doctor
- Get a physical exam at least once per year
- Get all the recommended vaccinations
- Eat nutritious foods
- Exercise
If you follow these five guidelines, you should have a great chance of staying out of hospitals. In addition, you will develop a trusting relationship with your doctor. They can continue to advise you on how to take better care of yourself going forward.
Primary care doctors often recommend their patients visit health specialists in some cases, such as nutritionists, social workers, and health coaches. Any patient with a weight problem could benefit immensely from these practitioners. They can help the patient set a proper diet and exercise regimen to maintain their health and keep them out of hospitals.
Sometimes all patients need is to be pointed in the right direction regarding health and wellness.
Conclusion
You cannot always avoid hospitalization because injuries and accidents can happen to even the healthiest person. But if you can prevent yourself from developing a severe illness or disease, then you’ll have a good chance of staying out of hospitals for a long time.
Patients and primary care doctors have to do their parts to avoid hospitalization. Therefore, the next step you should take is to make an appointment to see a primary care physician.
Primary Medical Care Center has several primary care doctors waiting to serve new patients. You can set up your appointment by calling us at 305-751-1500.