Novus Medical Detox Center
Novus Medical Detox Center Newsletter
December 17, 2007
In This Issue
From Several Of This Weeks Patients
Informed Medical Consent
Quick Links
 
From Several of Our Patients

Student

(Opiate Detox)

 

"Everything was great.  The food, 5 on a scale of 1 to 5.  I came off a medicine without feeling pain at all, 100%  great!"

 

Contractor/Builder

(Opiate Detox)

 

"JJ was a great help in so many ways-talking/supporting, just checking in.  Kara was so sweet and friendly.  Very genuine.  Jessica and Jean have great bedside manners.  The food, 5 on a scale of 1 to 5.  I wouldn't change a thing. I learned a great deal about nutrition.  I really like the idea of steering patients toward an aftercare program.  It's easy to quit drugs in a safe environment like Novus. But the real challenge begins when we all return home.  Also, stressing the holistic approach was a huge realization for me.  I've tried in the past, but again and again I would ultimately end up treating symptoms with magic little pills.  I really want to learn more about the root causes and address my mental and physical challenges that way."

 

Student

(Opiate Detox)

 

"Everyone was great!  The food was all good and balanced.  A 5 on a scale of 1 to 5.  From the moment I walked in the door, a lunch was waiting and I was offered anything and everything by a counselor.  Then as soon as I saw a nurse, she cared more about my withdrawal than she did the paperwork even though the paperwork is an important thing.  It was completely about my health.  At Novus, you will not go more than a couple of hours without someone offering you a drink or food or to just see how you are doing.  I greatly recommend this to anyone and everyone worried about withdrawing."

 

Mother of Four

(Opiate, Xanax, Anti-Depressant, Cocaine)

 

"It is something that people can be so kind when you feel so ugly inside.  People (the staff) here really help to cushion our fall.  IT WORKS!!

 

The food was a five on a scale of 1-5.  I gained a pound a day.  The place is so comfy.

 

When I came to Novus I had made so many wrong choices.  Those choices led me spiraling down and all alone into a dark hole with only my lies to keep me company.  I found that I couldn't even trust myself.  Doctors, staff members, counselors, cooks and housekeeping always followed through with what was said for my comfort and help.  Here everyone was the truth and now I feel as though when I walk out those gates I can be my truth.

 

I do have a big family at home where I am a mom, a wife and a friend.  I do look forward to being 100% at all of that again.  For once, I am truthfully looking forward to the treatment that I will be going to for more rebuilding of who I am.

 

Novus gave me 100% when I was in my darkest moments.  I know with all my mind, body, and soul they can do the same for you.  That is if you are reading this and contemplating walking in to the open arms here at Novus.

 

Well I have to get packing so I can be on my way but here is a poem for all of you at Novus.

 

A flower for seasons a change in time.

A wave in the ocean a drum in my mind.

A family to be with a trusting kind.

They are here by your side till the end of time.

 

All my love to all of you."

 
INFORMED MEDICAL CONSENT
 
By Steven L. Hayes, Director
 
Many of our patients at Novus Medical Detox Center remark to us how they believe that their  doctors that prescribed them medication on which they became dependent and/or addicted did not adequately warn them about the possible dire side effects.  They ask why they were just given these horrible pills and no one explained that there were alternatives.
 
Choose A Doctor Like You Would Purchase A Car
 
Because our patients are intelligent, if they had been given sufficient data about the possible consequences of taking the drugs and the availability of alternative treatments, our patients would likely not have become hooked on the drugs.
 
I ask them how they purchase a car.  They explain how they research the types of cars and speak with people who own them.  They find out about the costs of maintenance, the gas mileage and the resale value.  When they get to the car lot, they don't just accept what the salesperson says but instead challenge the salesperson to show evidence of why a car is actually better than the competition.
 
The next step is to ask them why they would treat their health with less regard than purchasing a car.  Why not do the same type of research about doctors and treatments to determine what is best for them?  They don't rely on the car salesperson so why blindly accept the word of a medical practitioner?
 
In addition, unlike the car salesperson, the medical practitioner has a legal responsibility in all 50 states to provide the patient enough information to enable the patient to make the right choice.  This is called informed medical consent.
 
Definition of Informed Medical Consent
 
The Florida Medical Consent Law is set forth in Statute 766.103 and is similar to the laws in the other 49 states.  The laws are based on the concept that individuals making decisions about medical care should consider the risks and potential benefits resulting from their decisions. To do so, individuals must have knowledge of those risks and potential benefits. These laws require the medical practitioner to provide enough data that the patient can make an informed medical decision.  Here are some of Florida's requirements:
 
* The method used by the medical practitioner for obtaining the consent of the patient must be in accordance with the accepted standard of medical practice among members of the medical profession with similar training and experience in the same or similar medical community.
 
* The information provided the patient should allow a reasonable individual to have a general understanding of the following things which are recognized among other medical professionals in the same or similar community who perform similar treatments or procedures:
 
o The  diagnosis of the patient;
o The proposed procedure or treatment;
o The risks of not doing the proposed procedure or treatment;
o The medically acceptable alternative procedures or treatments (regardless of their cost or the extent to which the treatment options are covered by health insurance);
o The substantial risks and hazards inherent in the proposed treatment or procedures.
 
* A written consent must be obtained from a person who, under all the surrounding circumstances, is mentally and physically competent to give consent.
 
* There is a reasonable standard because the medical practitioner is not required to give every possible alternative or risk factor but just the ones that are recognized by other medical professionals.
 
What Are The Consequences Of The Failure To Obtain Informed Medical Consent?
 
Failure of the medical practitioner to obtain informed medical consent from a patient is considered negligence. Negligence, as it applies here, is when a patient has an injury or harm because of actions taken or not taken by the medical practitioner.
 
A patient who was not given informed medical consent can only obtain money damages from the medical practitioner if a jury or judge decides that the failure to provide informed medical consent was negligence.  An example would be the patient being advised to have surgery but not being informed that there was a less drastic and less risky alternative.  If the patient suffered harm from the surgery, then even though there may have been no negligence in the performance of the surgery, the fact that the patient did not receive informed medical consent would make the medical practitioner liable for the harm. Depending on the amount of harm caused to the patient, a patient can recover money from the medical practitioner.
 
How Does Informed Medical Consent Apply To You?
 
When you seek medical treatment or a medical procedure you should:
 
* Research the medical practitioner and determine if there are any complaints filed against the practitioner by going to the state website of the licensing body;
 
* Research on the internet the medical treatment options;
 
* Based on your research, ask the medical practitioner questions about their proposed treatment and its possible side effects and the other alternatives you found and their possible side effects;
 
* Ask your medical practitioner to explain the possible serious side effects of the drugs being prescribed;
 
* Ask your medical practitioner if the prescribed drugs create any risk of an adverse drug interaction with any drugs you are taking (This is why it is a good idea to understand the basics of DNA and Metabolism which have been written about earlier so you will understand for yourself if the drugs you are taking are metabolized by the same enzyme.);
 
* Ask for a written informed medical consent. 
 
* If you are not comfortable with the answers given by the medical practitioner then seek someone else.
 
Conclusion
 
If many of our patients had taken more responsibility for their medical treatment, they might have chosen alternative treatments or procedures and might not have had to come to Novus for medical detox.  Please pay as much attention to any drugs or treatment you consider as you would pay to purchasing a car.  It is vitally important to your health and your future.
 
 
 

DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND IS MEANT TO HELP USERS BETTER UNDERSTAND SOME ASPECTS OF THE WAY THEIR BODY FUNCTIONS.   AT NO TIME SHOULD THIS INFORMATION BE INTERPRETED AS SPECIFIC MEDICAL ADVICE. USERS MUST CONSULT WITH A QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL PRIOR TO MAKING ANY TREATMENT DECISIONS.  COPYRIGHT © 2007 NOVUS MEDICAL DETOX CENTERS, LLC.   COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION OR REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED.

 
If you know of someone who needs our help, call us today.
 
1-800-505-6604