Synopsis

Medical errors are an epidemic.

Nearly six years ago, when Gloria J. Yorke‘s late husband collapsed in their home and was rushed to the closest hospital, she found herself sucked into a medical nightmare.

A Chicago legend, Big Band orchestra leader, singer, and virtuoso of the tenor sax, her husband opened shows for many of the greatest entertainers in history—including the original Rat Pack.  He was a gifted artist and a devoted husband to Yorke, who was 25 years his junior.

At the hospital, tests showed that he was bleeding inside his brain, and he was transferred to a larger facility that had its own neurological department. After three days and signs of slight recovery, they moved him to a regular floor for rehab and told him that he was expected to return home in three days.

That’s when the doctor assigned to him made a crucial medical error that pushed him into a coma, leading to the beginning of the end of his life. Despite neurologists, nurses, and nursing homes urging her to “let him die!” Yorke refused, eventually willing him out of his 34-day coma and helping him live another 6 months with extensive therapy to recover from garbled speech, brain damage, and other related complications.

“What happened to him at home was an accident, but what happened at the hospital was criminal,” states Yorke. Seeking to shed light on medical malpractice and the fatal errors that cause the deaths of nearly 400,000 patients per year, she wrote Medical Manslaughter: Will Your Doctor Cause YOUR Death? which explores her own tragic story through the lens of a fictional couple.

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Guest Post

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM MEDICAL ERROR

By Gloria J. Yorke, Best Selling Author

Considering that nearly 400,000 Patients DIE each YEAR due to Doctor making mistakes, it beseeches us to try to stay alive!

The first most important rule is to follow your Intuition!

To many, that may seem like a simple task, but you will be shockingly surprised to learn how many people ignore their intuition.  The little voice that is gnawing at you, in the back of your head, is your intuition.  It’s your personalized alarm button.  Listen to it and act upon it, as it just may save your life!

Gone are the days, when you left all the thinking up to the doctor.  You now must assume much responsibility for saving your own life.  When the doctor hands you a prescription, make sure you can read it.  If you cannot, the pharmacist may also not be able to decipher it.  Many medicines are spelled very similarly and can therefore become confusing.  Thus, the patient could receive the wrong meds, which could prove fatal.

RULE #1 – Carry a list of your meds in your pocket, wallet, or purse.  List the name, amount, reason, and frequency of the pills.  On that same sheet of paper, list any medicines that you may be allergic to. It is also wise to include your blood type any illness (i.e. diabetes, pacemaker, past surgeries, etc.), and, of course, your religion. Emergency Contact names and numbers are a must to be included.

By having this information listed above, it will make it so much easier to complete and expedite the paperwork upon admission.

Now, let’s get into the nitty gritty: being the patient in the hospital or nursing home.

RULE #2 – Choose a healthcare Advocate.  Choose someone close to you, such as a spouse, friend, sibling, or child, while you are healthy.  If you wait until you’re the patient in the bed, it might be too late!  You obviously must choose someone who is in good health and is not inhibited from asking questions.  The Advocate should agree to visit you every day. It takes a lot of stamina to be an Advocate.  There is much for them to check on while they visit, such as if the patient is having any adverse effects to the medicines, and their daily routine should include speaking with the floor nurse each day and meeting with the doctor at least once a week.

On being alert, the patient should always ask about any new medicines that have been added.  Ask the name of the medicine and its purpose.  Always remind the staff about the medicines to which you are allergic.  Many times, this factor gets overlooked by the physician.  Ask all questions that cross your mind… There is no such thing as a dumb question!

RULE #3 –  Be aware of the staff member’s hygiene.  Do they wash their hands in front of you, or have they put on a clean pair of gloves prior to touching your you or your meds?

RULE #4 –  If you’re having surgery, MARK that part of the body with a Sharpie and have the surgeon sign it.  Too many wrong limbs have become victim to confusion in communication.

These simple precautions will assist in keeping you safer and on the road to becoming healthy much quicker.

About the Author

Gloria J. Yorke is a hotel sales & marketing director, journalist, and public speaker. She is co-author of the Best Seller, The Midas Touch:  The World’s Leading Experts Reveal Their Top Secrets to Winning Big in Business and Life, written along with Dr. Joe Vitale, Dan Lok, and 26 international authors.

Medical Manslaughter: Will your Doctor Cause YOUR Death?  is based on her true story of losing her late husband due to doctor error.

Yorke resides in a suburb of Chicago.

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