Turn Down The Radio So You Can See Better: Distractions in Healthcare

The scene is familiar to any ophthalmologist: Your long-time patient, Mrs. Howell, sits centered in the grand exam chair. She is elderly but not frail. Today she is unusually nervous. Her daughter and son (whom I have never previously met) occupy the bench that lines right wall of every exam room. On my left, a familiar Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles form rests on the computer keyboard– a place where my technicians know it won’t be overlooked.
Everyone knows good vision is essential for safe driving.   Vision is critical and vision is measurable.   Eye doctors are, therefore, routinely asked to assess a patient’s ability to drive.   That “simple” DMV form asks a monumental question.  Can this patient safely perform the complex 360 degree task of driving?  It is a task that occurs in motion, endowed with horsepower, gasoline and governed by human decision making.  The assessment is complex but our instruments are blunt. So we begin by measuring the visual acuity.  This means, in basic terms, how far down the eye chart the patient can read.  The smaller the letter, the better the vision.   Like many complex assessments, what is measurable is only part of the assessment.   It is a greater challenge to measure the qualitative experience.   Understanding Mrs. Howell’s ability to drive demands far more than vision alone.  If you really want to assess her driving, ask her about the most challenging situation—driving in the rain at n...

Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - May 9, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs