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How Can We Improve Communication During Your Hospital Stay?

Ideas listing

10 Ideas
1 Votes
13 Comments
13 Participants

UAB Medicine strives to provide the highest quality health services, and we realize that effective communication is crucial to patient care and safety. We work hard to provide patients and their families with information that is helpful, clear, and consistent, but there is always room for improvement.


Your Challenge

What might UAB Medicine do to improve communication during your hospital stay, so that you, as a patient or family member:

  • Have a clearer understanding of the health care we provide
  • Can effectively share information with loved ones
  • Feel more confident in making health care decisions 
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Paying your bill is a nightmare

I get several bills from UAB, some I can pay online others I have to mail a check.  It's very hard to keep up with which bill gets paid how.  There needs to be one bill and one online/address to pay your bill.

1 Rating
Comments 1

ID Badges

One thing I have noticed since working at UAB is that there are so many people and knowing everyone is so difficult. It is made worse when their badge is flipped around so you cannot see their name or position in the hospital. At my previous hospital, every employee was issued two ID badges to keep on their badge holder, one on the "front" side and one on the "back" side. This ensures that when the badge inevitably flips around you can still see the photo, name, and credentials of the...

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0 Ratings
Comments 1

UAB Highlands

I quit being a patient at the UAB Pain Clinic located at UAB Highlands because of the way they treated their patients. The clinic is located at the REAR of the facility. Patients in PAIN are required to walk to the absolute rear of the building. The side parking lot and door can not be used because of Covid. So PAIN patients are having to walk the furthest. On my last pain blocks there, i was pushed through the hospital in an UNPADDED wheelchair. How is this even possible? I was stuck three...

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0 Ratings
Comments 1

caregiver

My husband is 82, hearing impaired and a cancer patient. Sometimes UAB doesn't allow me to accompany him into the triage area for his procedures. This is also the area where he signs his consent forms, but he cannot hear the consent explanation. Also, when the doctor comes to tell him how the procedure has gone, he cannot hear them. I've asked multiple times to accompany him. Sometimes, this is accommodated and other times, it is not. I know that Covid has made a lot of changes over a short...

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0 Ratings
Comments 0

Better pay and working conditions for UAB employees

UAB as the largest employer in the state has a responsibility to set an example for enlightened leadership in taking care of employees by paying them the MOST possible instead of as little as possible. How much of an impact would UAB have on the health and welfare of this community by paying employees a decent living wage ($15 hr+) and allowing us reasonable time off? More than all the federal funded research studies UAB conducts combined! It is shameful what UAB pays it's "essential"...

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0 Ratings
Comments 2

Understanding the Covid Vaccine

What if UAB media created a short film using graphics about covid and the vaccine?  What if the film took what covid is and how the vaccine works down to the most basic level - (3rd grade reading) - and made it UNDERSTANDABLE for some of the public that is not vaccinated because of confusing information and sadly, misinformation.  I think something along the lines of Quick Notes for Coats with a catchy headline e.g., from Disease to Ease, Covid Covered, Let's Cool Covid or something better.

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0 Ratings
Comments 1

Transports NP to TKC

I routinely see patient families (and even guest services) struggling to push patients up the ramp from NP into the TKC access area. Are there viable alternatives to this route? 

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0 Ratings
Comments 4

Communication through signage at UAB Highlands

There needs to be better signage at UAB Highlands.  I have discussed this with Jordan DeMoss, however, it has not improved. Directional signage from the ED to patient rooms, directional signage from rooms through the ED to exit the building after certain hours, signage indicating there are no food options for families. I have worked at UAB Hospital and UAB for 37 years and I LOVE UAB and all it offers, especially the outstanding healthcare!  Communication and signage is important to family...

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0 Ratings
Comments 1

Discharge communication and DME

It would be incredibly helpful to put the contact information for the doctor who saw you in the hospital on the discharge papers. Why is this not done? When I had to get FMLA papers done after my hospital stay, I literally had to call the charge nurse on the floor I had been on to get in touch with the doctor for me. It should not be that hard to find someone who treated you. I was also discharged with a backpack oxygen tank that got a dead battery before I made it home. It was a life...

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0 Ratings
Comments 1

From the caregiver's perspective

As a caregiver to a liver transplant patient I have noticed a disconnect in communication between the various levels of healthcare staff, from the physicians, diagnostician, nurses, social workers, down to the support staff(ie techs).  In the lengthy stays my spouse and myself have had to repeat to each caretaker the same information multiple times. I'm unsure whether the important information is not making it into the charts for review or if the patient chart isn't being carefully read....

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0 Ratings
Comments 1
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