Hospitalized patients often feel like they are losing control. Since this is a personal experience, loss of control is subjective. This loss may actually occur or be perceived. When patients arrive at the hospital, anxiety is related to their condition, their obligations, and the process about to occur (Taylor, 2012). When patients are admitted, the process usually begins with paperwork and intake led by an assistant who is usually very task-oriented (Taylor, 2012). Next, the patient is separated from family and support, taken to a room and asked to change clothes, then prepared for their procedure (Taylor, 2012). All of these activities can be very routine and mundane for hospital staff, but for each patient it can feel like being in prison. The patient is told what to do, what to eat, what to wear, and separated from family and friends. Loss of control seems to be more than a perception. During the hospital stay, many patients struggle with the lack of control over their diet and access to food (Naithani, Whelan, Thomas, Gulliford, & Morgan, 2008). Naithani et al. (2008) reported that most patients are satisfied with food quality, but not with quantity or availability. Patients lose control of their eating habits. The hospital is another “world” that operates on a different schedule, a different meal schedule, and a different decision-making hierarchy than the world in which the average person lives. In a hospital setting, a health psychologist can work with patients and their families to make the stay less regulatory. A health psychologist can encourage patients to focus on what they have control over rather than the things they have...... middle of paper ...... doctor will want to "win" and will do everything possible to achieve this. treatment a success. On the other hand, if doctors can engage their team members and use their expertise, they can know more precisely what is happening with the patient and help provide higher quality care. No one asks doctors to give up their power, but sometimes letting go gives you more power. Competent health psychologists can help doctors move in this direction.ReferencesNaithani, S., Whelan, K., Thomas, J., Gulliford, MC, & Morgan, M. (2008). Hospitalized patients' experiences of access to food: a qualitative interview and observational study. Health Expectations: An International Journal of Public Participation in Health Care and Health Policy, 11(3), 294-303. doi:10.1111/j.1369-7625.2008.00495.xTaylor, S.E. (2012). Health psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.