The survey underscored the need for hospitals to adapt to changing patient sizes. More than half of people over 250 pounds reported experiencing a doctor or nurse who was disrespectful to them during their stay. Seventy-one percent of the heaviest patients surveyed reported being somewhat or very physically uncomfortable during they stay.
'Patients of size often do not feel welcome in hospitals. While they are more at risk for health issues, too often they do not receive the same level of care or respect as normal-sized and merely overweight patients,' says
The survey was conducted online in
The vast majority of hospitals are ill-equipped to care for the bariatric population.1 As one of the nation's leading medical technology and equipment companies,
Helping Hospitals Meet Patient Needs
The
'Hospitals need equipment that can help them appropriately care for larger patients and that need has been increasing each year,' says
Emotional Toll of Hospital Care
The heaviest patients in the survey (250+ pounds) reported dramatically higher rates of embarrassment experienced in the hospital. Sixty-seven percent of survey respondents said they found parts of their hospital experience very or somewhat embarrassing, and 82 percent reported being self-conscious about their weight during their stay. In contrast, just 46 percent of those who weighed 150-200 pounds said they experienced embarrassment.
Seventy-five percent of obese patients have at least one condition that complicates their
health - and increases their risk of dying. As a result, obese patients often require more frequent and more extensive health care.2 Indeed, the survey found that the heaviest patients were the least likely to say they had considered delaying needed medical care due to their experiences in the hospital.
'As health care providers, we need to provide a safe, clinically appropriate and welcoming environment for all our patients so we can help them get the care they need,' said Bunnell.
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1 Collignon A. Strategies for accommodating obese patients in an acute care setting.
2 Galinsky T, Hudock S, Streit J. Addressing the need for research on bariatric patient handling. Rehabil Nurs. 2010;35:242-247. Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2048-7940.2010.tb00054.x/abstract
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