By and large, doctors and nurses are well-meaning, and most of the time, the system is working well and you will get good care. However, mistakes do happen. Follow the tips above to make sure that you are safe and well during every hospital stay.

With more consumers turning to the Internet to search for health information, the process can be labor intensive, leaving consumers confused and wondering if the information presented is accurate or just hype.

Now, nearly 30 years later, thoughts of Edith and her psychosis, her time with me (and my time with her) on an inpatient psychiatric unit, my attempts to understand her and care for her, have affected my work today. I struggle with this question: How can we do better?

"Letting Go: A Series" The books on my bookshelf represent my passions and dreams books read and unread centering clay button history diagnostic man...

If Americans are out of shape due to poor exercise, too much sugar, too much salt, etc., can the outcomes be expected to be stellar? To what degree can we hold the physicians, surgeons and hospitals responsible for reported longer length of hospital stays and poor outcomes?

Here are a few important and often unrecognized considerations that patients and their families should be aware of when discussing code status with their health care team.

I believe the "vigil" saps families not only of their energy, but also their ability to make intelligent decisions. I've put together some tips drawn directly from how my son and I chose to cope with our three-week ICU waiting room experience. They may work for you.

Maybe a standard nurse-to-patient ratio is the way to go. It would certainly be better than what we have now. Patients on our inpatient psychiatric units deserve better than what we, given staffing cuts, are able to give.

Needless to say, I was very relieved when I left the office of Dr. #4. I loved hearing that I wouldn't need a hysterectomy and that I no longer had pre-cancerous cells on my cervix. But I couldn't help being shocked at how little curiosity he'd shown over a promising new treatment for his patients.

We live and practice in an increasingly technology-driven society. Email and texting are default methods of communication, and our patients request that we friend them on Facebook and follow health advice delivered in brief 140-character bursts on Twitter.

The present state of health care in this country to an increasing extent involves strangers caring for strangers, with patients' narratives and life stories no longer a key element guiding decisions about their own health care.

Patients like Robert make clear that the very personal meaning patients find in their illnesses can be profoundly empowering. All too often, however, health care does not allow patients to explore the personal significance of their diseases.

When health-care providers cry -- as they almost all do, at least occasionally -- I encourage all of us as their family members, friends, colleagues, and sometimes patients to offer them an ear, a tissue, and a reminder that even though it is rarely talked about, they are not crying alone.

I know as well as anyone how many demands doctors face. We feel pressure to be on time, get a detailed medical history and not make mistakes. But how much time does it take to say hello and give a patient the sense that you are there to help? According to medical research, it does not take much time at all.

Here are the two most common issues that have come up during conversations that only break the surface of what we as physicians can work on when it comes to enhancing the relationship between nurses and doctors.

Nurses, doctors and other members of the health care team rallied together to provide quality patient care during a time when things surrounding us were unraveling and destruction was evident.