When you need to be in the hospital, there are things you can do to improve the quality of the care you receive. However, if you are very sick, ask your spouse or a friend to help watch out for your best interests.

• Ask “why?” Don't agree to anything unless you have a good reason. Agree only to those procedures that make sense for you.
• Provide an extra level of quality control. Check medications, tests, injections, and other treatments to see if they are correct. Your diligence can improve the quality of the care that you receive.
• If you get an itemized bill, check it, and ask about any charges you don't understand.