What are some good nursing home/hospital hacks? [more inside]
posted by Thin Lizzy on Nov 5, 2009 - 21 answers

I've just started volunteering at a local hospital on the cancer ward. We've had some training and I do have some personal experience (family member) with cancer treatment, but I want to be as helpful as I can -- If you have spent time on a cancer ward, as a patient, family member or friend -- or as hospital staff, how can I, as a friendly stranger, be most helpful to someone like you? [more inside]
posted by nnk on Oct 23, 2009 - 14 answers

My brother attempted suicide. Now he's in the hospital. [more inside]
posted by Abbril on Oct 20, 2009 - 22 answers

Many workplaces ban social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and so on. What are some of the reasons workplaces should allow (and even encourage) staff to use social networking sites? [more inside]
posted by Jaybo on Oct 14, 2009 - 20 answers

Did the hospital save my blood samples and could they be retested? Would swine flu cause a positive test for regular flu? [more inside]
posted by WeekendJen on Oct 9, 2009 - 6 answers

What types of flowers or arrangements are appropriate for the family of someone in the ICU? [more inside]
posted by GarotaDaCidade on Sep 14, 2009 - 16 answers

What is the hospital doing with a truck of "oxygen refrigerated liquid"? [more inside]
posted by Amanda B on Aug 29, 2009 - 19 answers

Awful Filter: What are the best women's crisis centers in NYC who address rape survivors? How can I locate affordable therapy in New York for a rape survivor? How do I call attention to hospital incompetence and unqualified social workers? Much, much more inside. [more inside]
posted by zoomorphic on Aug 3, 2009 - 25 answers

[WeddingGiftFilter] Looking for a wedding gift for a friend of mine. Male and works in a hospital. [more inside]
posted by jstarlee on Jul 19, 2009 - 12 answers

Is it worth it to switch practices just to have a better shot at getting a private room? [more inside]
posted by shiu mai baby on Jul 2, 2009 - 27 answers

How do you talk to young children about a parent's depression? [more inside]
posted by Felicity Rilke on May 27, 2009 - 6 answers

I would like to request my hospital send me either via email or dvd any CT Scans and x-rays from the hospital and/or Diagnostics dept. or my Primary Care Physician, in digital form. Best practices? (no pun...) [more inside]
posted by prodevel on May 13, 2009 - 7 answers

I'm designing a step-by-step procedure that caregivers can use to create cultural change in hospitals. The doctors I'm working with want the tool to look and feel like a "roadmap for change" and I'm not sure how to get it to look like one. [more inside]
posted by eisenkr on May 12, 2009 - 5 answers

I'm allergic to benadryl, as in can kill me. Even a normal does causes me to brake out in hives and my airway to swell. Do I need to wear some sort of med alert bracelet (is there even one?), is there something I should, at the least, put in my wallet?
posted by blackout on May 8, 2009 - 13 answers

Can anyone point me towards detailed comparisons or information about the management fees and/or costs at hospitals in other countries? [more inside]
posted by johannahdeschanel on Apr 27, 2009 - 2 answers

What can we do to thank some extremely helpful Emergency Room staff? [more inside]
posted by troika on Apr 21, 2009 - 11 answers

Do you know of any reasonably credible sources that list the premiums and deductibles that hospitals/doctors (of any kind, but largely medical surgeons for intensive-care/emergency/surgical hospitals) pay for medical malpractice insurance? I'm researching figures for a malpractice reform idea. [more inside]
posted by Quarter Pincher on Mar 16, 2009 - 2 answers

American injured in Japan filter. I'm currently staying in Harajuku with 4 other Americans. One of my friends twisted her foot/ankle pretty badly walking home last night, and now it hurts to put any weight on it. She has traveler's insurance. We're looking for suggestions on how best to proceed with getting treatment / diagnosis (we've been looking at international hospitals online, specifically St. Luke's); information on what to expect; and suggestions for macguyvering maneuverability for the rest of the trip. All help welcome. Domo Arigato Gozaimasu!
posted by adamkempa on Mar 1, 2009 - 8 answers

What would happen to a suspect who was seriously injured while being arrested? Would they be treated in a regular hospital while under guard? [more inside]
posted by Bobby Bittman on Feb 24, 2009 - 10 answers

How can a homeless person who has been injured (stabbed, for instance) expect to be treated at a U.S. city hospital with no money or health insurance? Surely they wouldn't let him bleed to death? And if they do turn him away, what are his options?
posted by Sully on Feb 1, 2009 - 21 answers

In the medical world, what is the difference between an "operation" and a "procedure"? [more inside]
posted by twine42 on Jan 15, 2009 - 6 answers

What treatments/procedures/personnel can you decline in the hospital? I know that I have the legal right to decline anything, but does the hospital have to continue to serve me if I do? Does it matter if I do or don't have a regular doctor affiliated with the hospital? Does it matter if its an emergency or not? [more inside]
posted by serazin on Nov 20, 2008 - 18 answers

Suggestions for a thank you gift for NICU staff? [more inside]
posted by k8t on Nov 19, 2008 - 10 answers

What is the most painful hospital test? [more inside]
posted by cgs on Nov 13, 2008 - 51 answers

For minor pet health questions: suggest websites that are comprehensive & user-friendly? I'd like to avoid unnecessary vet visits. [more inside]
posted by pseudostrabismus on Oct 30, 2008 - 10 answers

My terminally-ill grandma is in a hospital that is dirty, poorly staffed, and crowded. My family wants to move her to another facility. She has 2-8 weeks to live. Hospital staff has been unreceptive to our requests. How can we get grandma transferred to another facility? [more inside]
posted by Ostara on Oct 14, 2008 - 6 answers

Is there a common sense guide to symptoms requiring immediate medical attention? [more inside]
posted by waraw on Sep 7, 2008 - 22 answers

How do I find a medical school that is looking for patients? [more inside]
posted by polexxia on Aug 11, 2008 - 4 answers

A friend of mine has 3 kids who were all delivered via caesarean section. She is pregnant again and wants to have the baby vaginally at home with a midwife. Doctors are telling her she has to have this 4th baby via caesarean section because having it vaginally could rupture her uterus. Has anyone had any experience with this? Her husband is out of work (actively looking for a job), she is a stay at home mom, and they presently have no insurance. They can't afford to have a baby in the hospital without insurance. Are there any other options they have? Is there any government help in a case like this?
posted by JPowers on Aug 2, 2008 - 19 answers

How do you mentally recover from having been in the hospital, especially when you don't know what was wrong? [more inside]
posted by desjardins on Jul 22, 2008 - 10 answers

Where can I buy book(s) that list best hospitals/clinics for cosmetic surgeries in Bangkok, Thailand? [more inside]
posted by omaralarifi on Jul 14, 2008 - 1 answer

Teddy bear/stuffed animal repair in New York that doesn't cost a fortune? [more inside]
posted by theseampsgoto11 on Jun 23, 2008 - 2 answers

[Link is NSFW: graphic childbirth.] What is the maternity staff chanting in this video? They seem to have a few different songs, one for when the woman is pushing and another for once the baby is born. The notes for the video say that they are in "an Asian country" but I don't know what language they're speaking. [more inside]
posted by lemuria on Jun 22, 2008 - 3 answers

Should I have said something to the kid waiting for the MRI at the hospital? [more inside]
posted by Atom12 on Jun 14, 2008 - 20 answers

The g/f is starting her hospital rotations in 2 months, and apparently they must have a PDA. Any med students/doctors care to recommend a make/model, or software for it once we pick one out? Thanks.
posted by R_Nebblesworth on May 15, 2008 - 9 answers

It's the middle of the night in Taipei, Taiwan and I'm shivering with a fever of 101.7 degrees F - at what point should I head to the hospital? [more inside]
posted by Dr.James.Orin.Incandenza on May 14, 2008 - 20 answers

Should I really owe the hospital $400 for tests I was unaware of? [more inside]
posted by sian on Mar 14, 2008 - 9 answers

A group of college students and I are volunteering at a local children's hospital for a day to entertain the kids there but we are at a loss for what to do. Can you suggest any crafts or activities that we can do with the kids? There will be kids of many age groups and we plan to split them up and do different activities for each. We want these activities to be fun for the kids so they don't have to be educational.
posted by killa62 on Mar 12, 2008 - 14 answers

I just spent ~2 weeks in the hospital. How do I thank the people who helped me? [more inside]
posted by milarepa on Mar 9, 2008 - 20 answers

Where is the hospital I was born at? (in Brooklyn, NY) I am trying to figure out what has become of the hospital I was born at. I was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1969. The hospital on my Birth Certificate says "Brooklyn Jewish Medical Center". My family moved to Queens a few years after I was born and then I moved out of New York altogether when I was 27. I never really knew Brooklyn that well, although I have been trying to visit there more over the years. [more inside]
posted by fx3000 on Feb 4, 2008 - 3 answers

Leukemia patient -- how sterile should their hospital environment be? [more inside]
posted by ellenaim on Jan 28, 2008 - 11 answers

At what point is an adult fever too high? [more inside]
posted by dancinglamb on Jan 20, 2008 - 23 answers

Why did the emergency-room clerk want to know my wife's religion? [more inside]
posted by grumblebee on Jan 9, 2008 - 30 answers

Is there a free clinic in Dallas? Or any kind of reduced-payment medical facility, more specifically, for treating injuries vs. illness? [more inside]
posted by Unicorn on the cob on Dec 18, 2007 - 7 answers

Can someone spell out for me the hierarchy of doctor(s), certified nurse midwives, nurses and others in the setting of the labor and delivery room? [more inside]
posted by cocoagirl on Nov 29, 2007 - 12 answers

I am insured through a PPO. I was taken to an out-of-network hospital following an accident with major trauma. Am I out of luck for the charges above and beyond the dreaded "usual, customary, and reasonable" charges? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 8, 2007 - 4 answers

My 12-week-old kitten might have coccidia. He is in the animal hospital now. What can I expect? [more inside]
posted by MeetMegan on Nov 3, 2007 - 5 answers

My stepfather is currently hospitalized in France, where he had a series of transient ischemic attacks this weekend while on vacation with my mother and sister. They were scheduled to fly home next week, though chances are high that will get postponed at least a few days on doctor's orders. I'm trying to be as much help as I can from an ocean away. What practical aspects of being hospitalized in a foreign country should I be thinking of / helping with? [more inside]
posted by Stacey on Oct 14, 2007 - 15 answers

Do most people die at home or in hospital (or other)? [more inside]
posted by pettins on Sep 23, 2007 - 7 answers

Need suggestions for a reasonably priced hotel near Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for Oct 11th-13th. [more inside]
posted by dancinglamb on Aug 30, 2007 - 10 answers