I too
Joined: 30 Jun 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2003 8:03 am Post subject: agree that teaching
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should go on all the time during the tx, especially at the teachable moment, but I am saying that a class set up for patients who want to learn the machine and the full scope of their tx should be available. Every measure possible should be made available for patients to get all the info and training they want.
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Disgusted
Joined: 26 Jan 2003
Posts: 45
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2003 8:13 am Post subject: re: Doubtful
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Most of these cases are settled before they go to court as the provider as admitted guilt. I know of a patient that used to dialyze at my clinic that was forced into confidentiality agreement and settled for large sum of money.
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Lin
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 337
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2003 9:31 am Post subject: Liability
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They don't allow the pts. to touch the machine at the unit I go to, and yes it's because of liability. In NJ the techs are working under the license of the RN and if a mistake is made the RN is at fault legally. By the same token if a pt. does something wrong with the machine and there is a problem, the nurse takes the blame. I don't know how it is in other states, but that's the story here.<
>As for the training course, I wasn't clear on whether it was pt. education, or an actual tech. training course, but that the pt. wanted to take it to be educated.<
>Again, she lives in NY, and I live in NJ where they don't charge techs. for training course, and don't offer it to pts. unless they are going into home hemo training, and then it's free. Lin.<
>
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Most people
Joined: 30 Jun 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2003 10:24 pm Post subject: don't sue
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the dialysis facility that holds their life in their hands. Either there's only one unit in a city or the doctors back each other up so that if you sue no other doctor will let you in their clinic. And its pretty difficult to sue a clinic that has no set standards. But this generation of patients is becomming smarter. It is just a matter of time until there will be nursing and physician investigations and suits.
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Chipper
Joined: 30 Jun 2003
Posts: 2
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2003 11:51 pm Post subject: We are family
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A patient may be from old school that places doctor on pedestal, but rest assured the patient has family from new school that will hold doctor and clinic accountable for their actions.
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BE
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Posts: 25
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2003 8:12 am Post subject: Dialysis classes
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Brooklyn College in NYC gives technician training classes. They are not neccesarily just for people looking to get into the industry. They would probably accept any student. In this class you would probably learn more than is taught to the average dialysis technician. It basically teaches to a level of Chief Technician. Not sure if this is still offered as it was a few years ago that I heard of it. It was a lot more than $700 though.
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justthewife
Joined: 03 Jul 2003
Posts: 2
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2003 9:01 am Post subject: Rumors as fact
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Doubtful your pretty much right. My husband died due to a mistake by a tech, they even altered the record for that day, one of the four lawyers that turned down the law suit found the discrepancies. The reason the lawyers gave for turning me down, to much out lay (money) to fight a big corporation RCG this even when the split is 60/40. They want a sure thing if their going out lay 50 or 60 thousand dollars for investigations, yes they were medical malpractice lawyers.<
><
>Yes Chipper my husband put his and all doctors on a pedestal he is one of the top Dr's in our area but to hold him or the unit accountable is very hard to do. I only wish I would have found out about dialysis ethics sooner maybe he would have paid attention and had knowledge of what they were doing at his unit and still be alive.<
><
>
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Lawsuits
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2003 6:05 pm Post subject: Yes they have been successfully sued
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We have several active suits going on now and more to come. It has not been successful before, because they have always been protected by the self policing and all the wagons in a circle. The day is coming....I have said it all along. Public awareness and election year coming up. We are sitting pretty with all kinds of information. <
><
>We will be having a meeting in Baltimore in August, hopefully the governmentwill protect the patients and stop this insanity. I am hopeful, but the public awareness will still happen, it will just be better to have the government do what is right before the articles and expose come out. They can change it tomorrow if they wanted to. I still would like to think the government will do what is right.<
><
>More are on the horizon..you think educating patients is hard, try educating attorneys. Several suits are in the process of deposition, some have settled with "gag" clauses. But the fact is that accountability is here. It appears that the class action is not far off. <
><
>Hopefully the government will do what is right and realize that the 'self policing" has cost lives. The government has been aware since 1998 with 3 Federal Investigation and has allowed the "status quo " to continue. It continues to cause loss of lives. Patients deserve better and I do feel that we are on top of the hill now and we are making headway and personally I am proud of what we have already accomplished and the network of people who have the ability to make the changes possible.<
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>Arlene<
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>
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Patient Education
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2003 4:58 pm Post subject: Good Point
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I would like to comment on your statement, where you stated that your NFK provides numerous training materials to the patient, but they do not take the time to read it. Who is preparing your educational materials? Are they mass produced for the general public or are they targeted specifically for the dialysis patient? Have they taken a survey to know what the reading levels of the majority of the patients are? Have they run their educational materials through a SMOG or FLESCH reading scale? I doubt it. Statistics show that 80% of the United States population reads and comprehends at a 6th grade level, why don't you complete a FLESH or SMOG test on one of your educational pamphlets? If the patient can not read or understand the material, how can you expect them to learn about it? Also, is the patient the a visual or auditory learner? If you are handing an auditory learner a pamphlet to read, it is going to go in the trash, because that is not the way the learn. Mass produced educational materials are ineffective and inappropriate. They should individually geared to the patient. If you are not getting through to your patients, then you are not using effective teaching methods. Don't blame the patient for you or your staffs shortfalls in the patient education area. If
your nurses are "too tired" then you need to learn how to write a schedule so that the nurses are not working too many back-to-back 12 hour shifts, and please do not quote a nursing shortage to me. These are poor management skills and someone wanting to cut corners. You would rather pay overtime, than to adequately train another RN, which raises your overhead costs because you now have another person on staff that you have to pay benefits too, which cost much more than overtime. You are barking up the wrong tree. At least use some arguments that make sense and move into the 21st century where you at least know that each individual teaching plan must be tailored to each individual patient.
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Lin
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 337
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 12:03 am Post subject: What I have seen
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is that staff won't lie on documents, they will however "omit" certain information! I was having problems with my txs. when I first started dialysis and most of what I told staff was not documented! They would ask how I felt, which was like crap, and then write in report "no compaints of", which was a bold faced lie.<
>I suggest keeping your own notes, stating the date and what you said to who; in the event of an investigation/ lawsuit it would come in handy. It would also call into question ethics and charting protocol in the unit you go to. Arelene always says we pts. should keep accurtate records, and I agree with that 100 %! Also, if the lawyers here are willing to help we have to realize as pts. we must also do our part. I hope I never have to use those notes, but it's reassuring to know I have them. It also aids me in that I can look back over them when I go to the nephs. ect. ; changes can be made so that I can get a better tx.. I think too that if they know records are kept, they will be more carefull; pts need to police their care! Lin.
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advocate
Joined: 25 Apr 2003
Posts: 20
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 4:28 am Post subject: Yes they ommit
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Wonder why the federal govt. doesn't notice this practice. Surely every tx can't be perfect?! This would seem to be a glaring red flag to investigators??? Lies of comission, lies of omission--same thing --falsification of records!!! Keep careful records patients!
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justthewife
Joined: 03 Jul 2003
Posts: 2
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2003 5:57 am Post subject: What I have seen
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Lin, anyone that is computer literate can alter documents and records, and to cover their butts they will. If I sound bitter I am we were married for forty two years.
