How to Use this Guide
Prepare to go to a Hospital
On this page, you’ll find answers to the following questions:
How do I learn more about best practices to treat heart attacks, heart failure, and pneumonia?
How can I prepare to talk with my doctor?
Select a question above or scroll down the page.
How do I learn more about best practices to treat heart attacks, heart failure, and pneumonia?
The Patient Guide currently provides basic information about the following medical conditions, which commonly affect Marylanders:
- Heart Attack (AMI) – Refer to the articles titled AMI Care and AMI Information from the grey Consumer Help menu under Technical Information.
- Heart Failure (CHF) – Refer to the articles titled CHF Care and CHF Information from the grey Consumer Help menu under Technical Information.
- Pneumonia (PNE) – Refer to the articles titled PNE Care and PNE Information from the grey Consumer Help menu under Technical Information.
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How can I prepare to talk with my doctor?
The grey Consumer Help menu provides links to web pages that give patients help information, tools, and resources that prepare them for a hospital visit.
- From the main page of the Patient Guide, select the white box next to Consumer Help.
The menu expands to display a list of subtopics under Consumer Help.
- Select Tips for Talking to Your Doctor from the list of subtopics.
An article outlines what a patient should know to prepare for a hospital visit, to gain important information about their health, and to maintain good communication between visits.
- Read the Tips for Talking to Your Doctor article.
To complement this article, the Patient Guide provides a printable checklist that a patient can complete before a hospital visit and take with them.
- From the grey Consumer Help menu, select Consumer Checklist from the submenu under Consumer Help.
A form titled Consumer Checklist displays on a web page. At the top of the web page, two boxes display options to download the checklist in MS Word or PDF format.
- Select the MS Word or PDF link (depending on which format you prefer.)
For MS Word, a dialog box opens and displays the options to either Open or Save the form. For PDF, the form opens in a separate window.
- For MS Word, select the Open option in the window and select OK.
You word processing program opens and displays the Consumer Checklist in a separate window.
- Print the Consumer Checklist. (From the window, select the File menu, and select Print. Then, select OK from the Print dialog window.)
- Fill out the first section of the printed form, Prepare for Your Visit, before your hospital visit. Then, read the remainder of the questions. Take the Consumer Checklist with you on your visit to remind you what to ask your doctor and for taking notes during your appointment.
To prepare for surgery, select Questions for Your Doctor from the menu to access an article, titled Questions to Ask Your Doctor and Your Surgeon, from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Additionally, other links under the Consumer Help menu will help you be well prepared for medical treatment. Select Patient Bill of Rights to read an article about what is expected of you in a situation where you need hospital care. Patient Safety Tips provides access to an article titled 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors. Paying for Hospital Service describes financial options available to patients. Finally, What to Do If You Have a Complaint outlines steps you can take if you experience poor hospital care.
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