How to Complain About a Medical Service

When it comes to your health and the health of your family, you want nothing but the best. Whether you receive routine care or treatment for a life-threatening illness, you expect the best care with respect for your privacy and individual concerns. Unfortunately, the medical care you hope for is not always the medical care you receive. If you feel you have received poor medical care, have dealt with a less-than-pleasant staff member, or your privacy has been compromised, you have the right to complain about the medical service you received.

Instructions

• 1

  Call the office or facility. Ask to speak to the office or clinical manager. Explain the event, what you felt went wrong and how you think this event could have been improved upon.

• 2

  Write a letter. Compose a complaint letter to the hospital where you received the medical service. Address this letter to the quality assurance office, which is responsible for overseeing patient satisfaction. Explain your concerns and relate the reasons that you are complaining, how you feel about the situation, and what you think could have been done to make the situation right. Be sure to include contact information so that a hospital representative can follow up with you.

• 3

  File a complaint with the medical review board of your state. If you believe you received an inadequate or inappropriate response from the office or hospital you dealt with, or if the situation caused you permanent damage or was a life-threatening situation, contact the medical review board of your state. They will investigate the event. Medical review boards typically handle negligence, sexual abuse, substance abuse by medical workers and medical practice by unlicensed physicians.