How to help someone afraid of hospitals get medical attention

Some people will avoid hospitals at all costs. Usually, it is a loved one or concerned person who is left with the task of convincing them to get help.

Bad experiences at the hospital or personal beliefs can get in the way of a sick person getting help. Some diseases and issues can seem normal and manageable personally, but this attitude can carry on into serious health issues.

This is when a united healthcare front by loved ones is needed to address said beliefs or traumatic experiences.

Steps

Find out what the fear is: Ask questions to find out what they are afraid of or think about hospitals. If you are aware of a bad experience, talk about it. In both cases, remain empathetic and understanding of their feelings.

Address the fear. Bring perspective and come up with solutions to resolve the fear.

Offer support. Make sure to give them support throughout the whole process. Make sure the support you are offering is what they really need not what you think is best.

This requires patience and care, without which the person continues to be adamant until health issues escalate.

Marc Boutet, Advanced Care Paramedic, and Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic shares simple techniques to use from his experience of handling such cases.

“There are as many ways to convince people as there are reasons to not want to go to the ED. But they all start the same way: make them feel heard, acknowledge & validate their emotions, empower them by reassuring them their wishes will be respected, and make them feel understood,” he says.

Example

“If I understand you correctly, you’re telling me that you don’t want to go to a hospital for your chest pain today, is that right?“

“I can tell you certainly feel very strongly about this. That’s perfectly understandable. Rest assured we will follow your wishes.

“Can you please help me understand the concerns you have about going to the hospital?“

“ So, if I’ve understood you correctly, you don’t want to go to the hospital because you’re concerned about […]. Did I get that right?“

Discuss possible challenges

After getting the reasoning behind their refusal, see if you can address the concerns. If the concerns are based on false assumptions, you can be guaranteed an easier approach with accurate facts.

If they have doubts, get a trusted doctor on the phone to speak to both of you.

Example

“I understand you feel fine after you fell and bumped your head, but there is in fact a risk you may have a life-threatening bleed inside your skull. The only way to be sure is to get a CT scan.“

“ Of course, you don’t want to wait a long time in a hospital, that makes a lot of sense. What if we could go to an urgent care clinic instead where you could get your scan without waiting as long as going to a hospital?“

Next in the hurdles could be financial concerns, especially if they don’t have health insurance or money. They could revert back to saying things like “I don’t feel like it“ or “I don’t want to have to wait, it will be uncomfortable, I prefer being at home.”

Be honest

“The first line of reasoning here would be to outline the medically bad things that could happen if the patient chooses to remain at home. And you would think that the possibility of dying would be the top of this list, but I’ve lost track of how many patients have told me they don’t care if they die,” he says.

“There are quite a few outcomes that people fear more than deaths. The loss of autonomy. The loss of function of significant parts of their body. The loss of dignity. Living in constant pain. Being a burden on their loved ones. But it’s really important not to lie,” he adds.

Talk honestly about the possible outcomes in a simple and blunt manner.

Example

“ I understand you’re not afraid of death. A bleed inside your skull could also leave you paralyzed. This could mean you need to live in a nursing home and have to wait for the nice nurse’s aide to come to change your dirty diaper when she gets around to it”.

Remind them of important things in their lives

“Sometimes, when these avenues are not quite as available, you can choose to remind people of their obligations towards families and loved ones,” Boutet says.

Follow your gut

Rely on your instincts and inspiration at the moment.

“But all these approaches will be futile if the patient first doesn’t feel heard and understood. Only after that will they be prepared to listen to you.”