Critical Conditions: The Essential Hospital Guide to Get Your Loved One Out Alive [Paperback]

Martine Ehrenclou (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2008

Hospital patient care has become hazardous to the patient's health. There must be someone, a family member or good friend, to oversee and monitor the patient's medical care. Learn how to prevent medical errors, medication mistakes, hospital-acquired infectious diseases, and much more. Reach the doctors when you really need them---every time. Navigate the hospital with confidence.

Critical Conditions is a step-by-step guide based on over 150 interviews with registered nurses, physicians and hospital staff, Ms. Ehrenclou's own experiences with hospitalized family members and hundreds of hours of research. It is a book for family members written by a family member who has been there. A reported quarter of a million deaths in hospitals nationwide were found to be preventable (The Fifth Annual Health Grades Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study, 2008). If someone has a parent, spouse, sibling or child in the hospital, they must get actively involved in the patient's care to prevent medical errors. Hospitalized patients are recovering and cannot do this for themselves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

-Winner of the Book of the Year 2009 (Bronze) --ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards

-Winner of the Best Health Book of 2009 --Allbooks Review Editor's Choice Awards

-Winner of How-To Book of the Year 2009 --San Francisco Book Festival

-Winner of the Best Health Book of 2008 --The Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards

-Winner of the Best Health Book of 2008 --Books&Authors.net

-Winner of the Best How-To Book of 2008 --DIY Book Festival Awards

-Finalist Health Book of the Year 2009 --National Indie Excellence Awards

-Finalist in 2009 Health/Wellness Category --Next Generation Indie Book Awards

-Honorable Mention, Self-help Book of the Year, 2009 --Reader Views Reviewers Choice Awards

-Winner of Mom's Choice Award - Health/Fitness/Safety, 2010

-Eric Hoffer Category Finalist Award, 2010

-Winner of the best How-To Book of 2009, New England Book Festival

-Award-Winning Finalist in the Health category of the National Best Books 2009 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News.

-Second Place Winner of the Written Art Awards Fall 2009 Awards, 
in Nonfiction/self help.

"What are the chances you'll never have to be there for someone in the hospital? Zero. At some point you'll be called into life-and-death matters. Now, Martine Ehrenclou helps us all with Critical Conditions... Her concise guide includes a workbook to apply the rules to your own situation. It's a godsend!" --Annie Gilbar, Editor in Chief, Los Angeles Times Magazine

Hospital care is becoming hazardous to the patient's health. Wise words from medical personnel pepper the pages of Critical Conditions... based on more than 150 interviews with nurses, doctors, and other hospital staff, and the author's own experiences. --Publishers Weekly

An important book for family members of anyone who is in the hospital, or who is seriously ill. Ehrenclou distills the information she gained from interviews into calming, practical advice. --ForeWord Magazine

Critical Conditions: The Essential Hospital Guide to Get Your Loved One Out Alive is a recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award for Best Health/Safety Book, 2010. The Mom's Choice Awards honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; and Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of the Mom's Choice Awards. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book/product has been honored by this distinguished award. --Mom's Choice Awards, 2010

About the Author

Martine is an author and patient advocate. She has had several of her articles on hospital patient safety published in national magazines and newspapers and has been interviewed on numerous nationally syndicated radio shows. Martine is a monthly contributor to ParentGiving.com. She currently lectures on the topic of patient advocacy at hospitals and "How to Survive a Hospital Stay" at universities, organizations and bookstores. Martine has also had stories published in bestselling books, has written for newspapers and magazines, and with past businesses has appeared on national TV talk and news shows (ABC World News Tonight, Phil Donahue, Jenny Jones and more) in national magazines (Time, Inc., The Economist, and more) and in national newspapers (Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe and more.)

She received her master's degree with honors in psychology from Pepperdine University, Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Lemon Grove Press LLC; 1 edition (August 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981524001
• ISBN-13: 978-0981524009
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #679,901 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Martine Ehrenclou is an award-winning author, patient advocate and speaker. Author of the multiple award-winning, Critical Conditions, and her newest health book, The Take-Charge Patient, Martine is focused on empowering patients so they become experts on how navigate and take charge of their medical care. Her mission is to bring to light the importance of being an advocate for others and for ourselves. Through her books, published articles, media interviews, and lectures, Martine Ehrenclou reveals insider information on how to work the healthcare system for the patient's benefit.


Martine writes monthly articles for several health websites, regularly publishes articles on the topics of patient empowerment, patient advocacy, patient safety and other health/medical related issues. Martine lectures at universities, hospitals, organizations and libraries, and writes a monthly blog and newsletter.
She received her masters degree with honors in psychology from Pepperdine University, Los Angeles.

FREE NEWSLETTER!
Sign up for her free monthly health newsletter at www.thetakechargepatient.com
FOLLOW ME ON
Twitter http://twitter.com/Med_writer
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MartineEhrenclou
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/martineehrenclou

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hospital Survival Guide, January 3, 2009

By 

Marlys M. Styne "Author of 'Reinventing Mysel... (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Critical Conditions: The Essential Hospital Guide to Get Your Loved One Out Alive (Paperback)

No one likes to think about being hospitalized, or of dealing with the hospitalizaation of loved ones. This is a book that answers those questions that you probably were afraid to ask or never thought to ask.

Based on interviews with nurses, doctors, social workers, and families, this is a serious book well worth reading for anyone facing the need to deal with any personal or family hospital experience.

According to Ehrenclou, "Hospitals today are institutions struggling to survive in an environment where authority is in the hands of insurance companies rather than patients and their families. Rapid advancement in technology makes ever more expensive treatments in wide demand. Nurses are more expensive and harder to find and retain. . . . Serious infections, which are often treated in hospitals, are inadvertently spread from one patient to another. All of these factors are serious impediments to the compassionate care and good outcome we all desire when hospitalization is necessary."

Every patient needs an advocate or an advocate team, especially if he or she is elderly and impaired. The advocate serves as his or her "loved one's eyes and ears," establishing contacts with doctors and nurses. Responsibilities include keeping track of the patient's medications, allergies, symptoms, treatment plan, diet, and a myriad of other things.

It is the advocate's duty to catch patient name errors (to prevent similarly-named patients from getting someone else's treatment or medications), insist on pain management, and speak up if something appears wrong.

Of course the problem is doing all these things without insulting or seeming to second-guess the doctors, nurses, and hospital administrators. Infinite tact and understanding are required. Yet hospital personnel do want to avoid unfortunate or even fatal errors, and many are willing to listen.

This is a very detailed book, containing interviews, tragic examples, hospital staff and medical terms glossaries, and spaces for patient advocates' lists and notes. It also includes a list of useful websites for information on medical conditions, medication errors, and hospitals.

It would be comforting to think of hospitals as efficient, caring institutions that can take care of us and our families, but the economic realities and unfortunate errors pointed out by Martine Ehrenclou ring true.

Read this book if you or a family member faces hospitalization. It is filled with valuable information and useful suggestions that we can't afford to ignore.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Reference Guide to Getting the Best Possible Care inside a Hospital, November 15, 2010

By 

Michael A. Weiss - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Critical Conditions: The Essential Hospital Guide to Get Your Loved One Out Alive (Paperback)

Length:: 4:26 Mins

"Critical Conditions: The Essential Hospital Guide to Get Your Loved One Out Alive" is a thoroughly POSITIVE GUIDE TO GETTING THE BEST POSSIBLE PATIENT CARE INSIDE A HOSPITAL. This Ultimate Reference Guide, by Martine Ehrenclou, M.A., is ideal for Current Patients, Prospective Patients and their respective Loved Ones, Friends and Extended Family members.

It details what Patients need to KNOW and DO in order to obtain the Quality of Care they expect - and are entitled to - once they enter the Hospital. The Book is written in such a comprehensive and genuine manner that Medical Professionals go on record and applaud Ms. Ehrenclou's efforts because they make their jobs easier and help construct a more complicit and educated Patient Population. It is based on more than 150 interviews with Nurses, Doctors, Social Workers and Families and should be made available for sale in every Hospital Book Store in the world.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Indispensable Guide, November 23, 2009

By 

Story Circle Book Reviews - See all my reviews

This review is from: Critical Conditions: The Essential Hospital Guide to Get Your Loved One Out Alive (Paperback)

Critical Conditions: The Essential Hospital Guide to Get Your Loved One Out Alive by Martine Ehrenclou, M.A. is a valuable book. The probability that an individual will have a close friend or family member in the hospital is great and this book can help the patient and them survive the ordeal.

Hospitalizations generally increase anxiety for patients and those close to them. Family members and friends are often faced with questions such as, "Who should I talk to about my loved one's medical care? What decisions might we have to make while my loved one is hospitalized? What resources are available? What types of problems can we anticipate?" Critical Conditions provides a practical map to maneuver through the medical maze and get answers to these important questions.

Critical Conditions is a well-organized resource based on more than 150 interviews with families and medical professionals. The first half of the book addresses the basics of advocating for someone who is hospitalized, from the beginning to the end of their hospital stay. Ms Ehrenclou clearly explains the roles of the primary nurse, physicians, and other hospital personnel. She points out the correct people to speak with about specific concerns and suggests questions you should ask them. Although respectful of the medical system, Ehrenclou is realistic about its shortcomings and emphasizes ways to prevent common medical errors, infectious diseases, and fatal falls (one of the major causes of hospital deaths). Cultural issues, medical directives, and discharge planning and aftercare are also covered.

The second half of Critical Conditions provides an indispensable workbook and journal. Forms are included for tracking the patient's treatment and include space to list the specialists involved and their contact information, various test results, and daily progress notes.

Following the steps and suggestions in this book can help empower a person who cares about the well-being of someone who is hospitalized. Critical Conditions is valuable to read before a loved one is hospitalized and a great resource to take to the hospital. In fact, it could be a lifesaver.

by Barbara Heller
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women