How much control should a patient have over his or her care environment?

46% – Some control; a patient could feel overwhelmed by a perception of a lack of supervision

18% – Little control; trained hospital staff should have more control over the patient’s direct care environment

36% – Lots of control; the more autonomy the patient has the better

COMMENTS

– You should include the nursing staff in this discussion. Various disease states require different levels of care and monitoring. The medical team also has responsibility for patient safety and privacy.

Optimally, the decision for control should evolve out of a patient care conference involving the patient, family

and caregiver systems.

Jeanne Patterson

I’ve spent over a month as a patient in a hospital and know that it’s nice to have some say, but nicer to feel an undertone that regardless of what you say (or don’t) that you will be taken care of regardless.