10 dirtiest hospital secrets [chapter5]

9. "Stay away from hospitals in July like the plague."

If possible, stay out of hospital during the summer, especially July. That is the month when medical students are interns, interns become residents and fellows and medical residents in networking. In other words, a good part of the staff in a teaching hospital because it is new to the job.

Summer hospital horror stories are not just medical science: The adjusted mortality rate rises to 4% in July and August for the average major teaching hospital, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. That means that the deaths of eight to 14 more are produced in major teaching hospitals than normal without the turnover.

Another programming advice: Try to book surgeries first thing in the morning, preferably early in the week, when doctors are at their best and before schedules the backup.

10. "Sometimes we do not know how to keep his mouth zipped."

Contrary to belief, the exchange of patient information with a third party is often perfectly legal. In some cases, the law allows your medical records to be disclosed without asking or even notifying you. For example, hospitals will deliver information about your treatment to other doctors, and easily share the details with insurance companies to make payments.

That means that about millions of entities that are not heavily involved in the system of health care have access to this information. These matches can even transfer the data to its trading partners, says Deborah Peel, founder of the Foundation of Patient Privacy Rights in Austin, Texas.