Seek Patient Permission
It is not unusual for physicians to be shadowed by all sorts of people. Sometimes, college students will seek out summer jobs in a physician’s office to see if they want to consider a career in medicine or even, nursing. Med students will follow physicians for a period of time to gain some practical experience in their field or specialty. And certainly, in teaching hospitals, it is very common for a group of students and physicians to round on patients.
However, regardless of who is following or shadowing the physician, there are some important considerations to be observed.
-
Be sure and seek the patient’s permission before bringing an unexpected person into the patient exam room.
-
Introduce those who are following the physician and let the patient know who they are, and why they are there.
-
Seek patient permission before allowing a student or intern to do a procedure on a patient.
-
Respect the patients right to decline having someone else in the room during their exam or do a procedure on them.
-
Train the people following the physician in patient privacy guidelines.
-
Limit the number people allowed to follow the physician at any one time.
Always remember to put yourself in the patients position. If you were in the same situation would you want to be exposed to crowd? Being naked in a crowd can be a humbling experience for anyone.
Karen,
So true. I took my Mom to the geriatric department at Emory last year to consult with one of the best doctors in town. We waited six months for an appointment and when we finally got to his office, he came into the room and introduced a med student. He then disappeared. My mom was not pleased and neither was I. When I said something to the student, she seemed a bit peeved. I will never go to that practice again. Actually, Emory has a very good reputation in Atlanta but I have never had good luck with their doctors, their staff, their customer service, etc.
Hope all is well.
P.
Peggy M. Parks, AICI CIP, CPBS
President
Phone: 404/266-3858
Fax: 404/364-0298
The Parks Image Group, Inc.
Civility is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
facebook-icon linkedin twitter-icon
“Opportunity meets Motivation:
Lessons from 4 women who built
passion into their careers and lives”.
Thank you taking the time to comment, Peggy. I do appreciate it. I think many people are not offered the chance to decline having a student or intern in the room. Something that I think is very inconsiderate.