If your doctor decides you need medical treatment that will require a stay in a hospital, this guide provides information and questions to help you prepare.
Before going into the hospital ask your doctor to explain your condition and the treatment you will receive. Ask if there are other choices of treatment available. You can also request a second opinion from another doctor, or you may be referred to a specialist.
Ask the doctor for written material about your condition and treatment that can help you know what to expect and how best to help in your healing. You might also find information on the Internet.
Hospitals are required to ask if you have an advance directive or to provide you with an advance directive form, should you wish to complete one. More information can be found in the pamphlet Health Care Advance Directives on FloridaHealthFinder.gov.
About the Procedure/Surgery
About the Hospital Stay
About Recovery
Being in a hospital can be frightening for children since they may not know what to expect and may not be able to easily express their concerns. The more a child and the parents can learn will help the child be better prepared.
Explain to your child where you are going, what time you will return, and reassure them the hospital staff is ready to help them. If possible, write down your cell phone number and the phone numbers of other loved ones. Place the phone where it’s easy to reach, along with a game, book, and/or television remote.
The Agency for Health Care Administration created the FloridaHealthFinder.gov website to provide comparison tools and information to help the public become better informed health care consumers and to assist researchers in the study of Florida’s health care trends. The website includes a Multimedia Health Encyclopedia, a Symptom Navigator, a hospital and ambulatory surgery comparison tool, and other comparison tools.
Facility Locator
You can find a list of hospitals (as well as other types of health care facilities and providers) through the Facility/Provider Locator. The facility profile page provides the address, phone number, driving directions, owner, chief executive officer, number and types of beds, the hospital’s website (if available), emergency and legal actions (if applicable), and links to inspection reports and the hospital comparison tool.
If you are looking for particular types of hospital beds, particular programs or special services, organ transplant programs, trauma centers, or other types of search options, you can choose these on the Facility Locator homepage, under the Advance Search option.
Multimedia Health Encyclopedia
Prior to your stay in a hospital you can find information on your medical condition or procedure through the Multimedia Health Encyclopedia. The encyclopedia provides information on particular diseases and medical conditions, symptoms, tests, and preparation for surgery or a procedure. The encyclopedia includes over 3,900 articles; 3,000 illustrations, diagrams and photos; and over 80 videos.
The articles address causes and risks for a condition or procedure, symptoms, tests and treatments, when to call your doctor, prevention, and more. Some of the articles include links to Florida health care data, as well as links to Care Points with more in-depth information about medical care. The patient health care videos cover common health topics such as tracking your blood pressure at home, the difference between a cold and the flu, and how to use an asthma inhaler.
There are also links to Care Points which feature over 300 topics covering the most common health issues like gallbladder removal, spine surgery, cancer, heart failure, and more. Care Points can help patients become more active participants in their care. It includes four clinical areas: information and instructions prior to an operation, after discharge, self-care information, and suggested questions to ask your doctor.
Symptom Navigator
A quick way to view articles in the encyclopedia is through the Symptom Navigator. The navigator allows the user to click on a human form related to a particular symptom, like lower back pain or knee or elbow problems. It then provides a variety of links that open up articles in the Health Encyclopedia related to the symptom.
Compare Hospitals and Ambulatory Surgery Centers
One of the highlights of FloridaHealthFinder.gov is the hospital and ambulatory surgery center comparison tool which presents data on over 150 medical conditions and procedures. It allows consumers to compare hospitals for quality of care and patient satisfaction. The data comes directly from Florida hospitals and allows consumers to look at the number of hospitalizations for particular medical conditions and procedures; range of charges; as well as rates for infections and complications, mortality, and readmissions. Information is also provided on various conditions and procedures specific to the pediatric population, which provides parents with a valuable resource when preparing for a child’s hospital stay. For Florida ambulatory surgery centers the data includes the number of visits and range of charges.
Physician Volume
This feature on the website looks at physician volume for five procedures performed by doctors in Florida hospitals. The procedures include total hip and total knee replacement, angioplasty, spinal fusion and coronary artery bypass graft. This will help you compare the experience surgeons have with these particular surgeries. Additional procedures that look at physician volume will be added in the future.
Other Comparison Tools
Additional comparison tools on FloridaHealthFinder.gov look at assisted living facilities, nursing homes, health plans, home health agencies, and prescription drug prices. This website provides retail pricing information for 150 of the most commonly prescribed drugs in Florida along with their available generic brands. The prices reflect what an uninsured consumer with no discount or supplemental plan would normally pay for a prescription.
Click here to view a summary of the Patient’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities set by Florida statute.
If you are not satisfied with the service you are receiving while in the hospital speak with your doctor, the director of nursing, the patient advocate, or ask the staff who you can talk to about your concern.
If you think the hospital may have violated the law relating to your care, you can file a complaint with the Agency for Health Care Administration, while you are in the hospital or after your discharge. To file a complaint, call the toll-free number (888) 419-3456 or file it online at http://ahca.myflorida.com/contact/what_happens.shtml .
To file a complaint against health care providers licensed by any state agency, including AHCA, you may utilize the Florida Health Care Complaint Portal.
To file a complaint against a doctor, or other health care professional, call the Department of Health’s toll-free number (877) 425-8852 or visit FLHealthSource.gov .
Note: This is not designed to offer medical or legal advice. Please talk with your doctor for medical advice and an attorney for legal advice.
Information is current as of November 2024.
This may be copied for public use. Please credit the Agency for Health Care Administration for its creation.
If you have comments or suggestions, call (850) 412-3750.