7. Don’t Get Admitted on a Weekend or During the Summer Months, Especially July
Doctors divulge that being admitted during the summer months, especially during the month of July, could be a bad idea as found by a study conducted by the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2011. The report showed a more than 30% increase in mortality rates in hospitals during the said period which, they say, could be attributed to the influx of new, inexperienced medical graduates and the departure of seasoned medical residents.
Another study conducted in the United Kingdom showed a similar occurrence during weekends where a 16% increase in mortality rates was noted compared to weekday numbers. This is because of fewer staff manning the hospitals in addition to limited access to vital diagnostic tests during the period.
However, teaching hospitals had lower mortality rates during the same periods compared to other hospitals. This is because learning institutions have a greater number of experienced residents on duty who can guide the newly grads who have just entered, as compared to that of non-teaching facilities.
