Highly-rated health care facilities may have great doctors, but their support systems may not be great. Based on my experiences, here are some helpful tips ("Hospital safety rankings may not provide useful data to consumers, study finds," May 16):
Name card. Many health care facilities have ID cards for patients but some do not. In that case, make your own name card. Print in large letters on a 3 x 5 index card your full name and your date of birth. Present your homemade name card to the health care worker when you are making an appointment, picking up a prescription, going in for treatment, etc. Never just say or spell out your name and expect the health care worker to find it in their database, especially if your name is difficult to pronounce or spell. You are also frequently asked for your date of birth to help identify you.
Prescriptions. When a doctor prescribes a drug for you, write down the name of the drug, dosage, number of pills, and schedule to take them. When you pick up your prescription, check to see if it matches what you wrote down. If you are getting an eyeglass prescription, write it down before you leave the office. When you get your eyeglasses, make sure the prescription matches what you wrote down. If you are referred by a dentist for a root canal or extraction, write down the tooth number before you leave the office and confirm it when you go in for treatment with the specialist.
Appointment card. Always ask for an appointment slip for your next appointment. Some facilities do not automatically give you one. You can check this to make sure that the appointment was made correctly and with the correct provider. You may find another patient's name or wrong date or time on the appointment slip. Also, call the front desk before your next appointment to confirm that your appointment is still on the schedule. If you arrive for your appointment and they do not have you on the schedule, show them the appointment slip and they may work you in.
Gary J. Kaplowitz, Pikesville