Health and Psychology

Medical Trauma is a very common phenomenon.  It can happen when you awaken during a surgical procedure because the anesthesia wasn't deep enough, it can happen when you are misinformed about a medical procedure, it can happen when a procedure goes different than planned, and it can happen as a result of multiple procedures or being mistreated by a medical professional. 

The statistics are alarming.  About 100 patients a day wake up during a surgical procedure.  Psychology Today (2011) http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/somatic-psychology/201110/medical-trauma-when-procedure-goes-wrong.  Pediatric Medical Trauma is common http://www.nctsn.org/trauma-types/medical-trauma National Child Traumatic Stress Network.  Medical maltreatment is common.  Physicians are often hurried and no longer have the ability to work at the needed pace to assist them in a diagnosis and treatment planning process more or less involve the patient in the decisions they are making.  According the Board of Medical Quality Assurance in California's annual report for 2011 there were 7,122 complaints received during fiscal year 2010-2011 (FY 10-11) regarding physicians and surgeons, up from 6,539 for the prior fiscal year. There were 1,338 cases opened for investigation during FY 10-11, which was also up from the prior fiscal year (1,312). Most of the complaints received from the general public were for gross negligence or incompetence (2,427 out of 4,818 complaints received from the public). Gross negligence/incompetence complaints accounted for 3,377 of the 7,122 total complaints (the next largest category of complaints was for unprofessional conduct – 1,649 complaints).  However many patients just stop treatment and don't return to standard medical care due to medical trauma.  They wait until medical conditions are advanced, seek alternative care, or choose to stop treatment of any condition.

Health psychology as a field can and does help medical trauma patients.  

• We can explain all of the tests, the results, the medical terms, and the procedures in detail.  
• We can explain the effects and side-effects of medications and what to expect from medications.
• We can help patients manage complex medication regimens.
• We can assist patients in deciding to take or not take medication or continue or discontinue treatment.
• We can accompany patients to medical visits and assist the patient in voicing concerns and getting needed treatment.  
• We can help physicians avoid malpracice complaints.  Medical trauma patients often sue their physician as the only remedy for maltreatment. 
• We can translate vague medical complaints from patients into medical terms. 
• We can clarify expectations of patients to physicians.  
• We can help patients to evaluate their own symptoms and understand standard in-home testing procedures such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, heart rate, and glucose monitoring.
• We can assist with treatment compliance.
• We can assist with medical research, finding clinical trials, working with complementary and alternative medical practitioners, and providing psychological assistance if that's needed.