How to Get out of the Hospital Alive: A Guide to Patient Power - Hardcover

Dr. Sheldon Blau was always a good doctor, but he became a much better one after he suffered a cardiac arrest and found himself a patient in his own hospital. There he almost died not of the heart attack, but as a result of typical mistakes that all too commonly befall patients. Fortunately, Dr. Blau had an insider's medical knowledge of treatments and procedures, and was able to control damage and recover. Now Dr. Blau and Elaine Shimberg, a patient's rights educator, team up to advise anyone facing a hospital visit how to get adequate even superior medical care. They describe the tasks and perspectives of each of the members of the medical team. They disclose the most common medical errors and tell how to prevent them. They advise when to make demands and when to make nice. Most of all, they tell patients and their families how to become active, knowledgeable participants in their treatment and recovery. The result is a book that brings assurance, comfort, and personal power to anyone facing a hospital stay. Sheldon P. Blau, M.D., is an attending physician at Winthrop University Hospital, a Clinical Professor of Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook, and a Consultant in Rheumatology at area hospitals. He has written several professional and lay books. Elaine Fantle Shimberg, the author of many health books, is the first lay member of the Florida Medical Association's Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs.