In prior posts I have strongly recommended that, if possible, it is in your best interest not to go into the hospital in the month of July. The month of July is the traditional beginning of a new rotation for the new hospital Residents, or there are an overwhelming number of newly minted doctors with no real experience in charge of your care. In many cases these new Residents are still learning where the bathrooms are in the hospitals as well as feeling (rightfully) very overwhelmed by their new roles. This is not a good formula for the best possible care.
Now I must also warn you about weekends, another not ideal time to become an inpatient at a hospital.
There are now studies reveal that if you need to be hospitalized, your chances for substandard, dangerous and expensive care go up on the weekend! According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) the death rate in hospitals increases over weekends. A British study reported in the Guardian shows that in the UK people admitted to hospitals on the weekend have a higher rate of death than weekday admits.
Clearly, this is a universal issue in both North America and in Europe.
Why the extra deaths? Hospitals are functioning seven days a week, 24 hours a day, but are they really? Often, specialists may not be available after the usual Monday through Friday, 8 to 5 workday. The staff who run specialized diagnostic or treatment equipment often aren’t on duty over the weekend.
The reality is that patients who are hospitalized over the weekend