In the prior section, we talked about what quality means and why it matters. In this section we will help you decide on a hospital for your treatment.
This checklist shows the topics we will cover. Read the pages that follow for details about each topic. Click on the headers below to go to each page.
What to Look for in a Hospital
- Understand the roles that hospital staff play in your care.
- Ask who will manage your care in the hospital and which hospitals are your best options.
- Research the quality-of-care ratings for the hospitals.
- Consider your options if a hospital is not highly rated.
- If you have health insurance, find out how much of your care at the hospital will be covered by it.
- If you don’t have health insurance, learn if you qualify for the hospital’s discount program or payment plan.
- If you must pay all or part of the bill, call the hospital to find out the costs for your procedure.
Consider Other Hospital Features
- Consider the hospital’s location, patient rooms, visitor policies, and menu offerings.
- Find out about additional support you may need, such as language assistance, ombudsman services, social services, pastoral care, palliative care, and discharge planning.
- Make a final hospital choice with your doctor.
- Schedule your procedure.
- Alert your health insurance plan.
- Get to know the hospital better.
Read on for more information.
