Big lessons from my error
I was furiously tapping on the computer when he asked: “Doc, what happens if I don’t have the procedure you are recommending?”
Glee spread through my body. I grinned and nearly jumped up from the stool to hug him. I enthusiastically answered.
Few patients ask this vital question.
I tweeted about the encounter:
An older pt asked me: "what happens if I don't have this procedure" / I nearly jumped up to hug him! <Please, people, ask your doc that
— John Mandrola, MD (@drjohnm) July 7, 2017
A number of people noted my error:
Why aren't docs telling their patients their options and explaining them?
— Holly, MSN, RN (@Ozzwoood) July 7, 2017
1/Alarmed that isn't already part of the conversation! The Hippocratic Oath obligates Drs to discuss pros & cons of any medical intervention
— Informed Consent (@BZarebad) July 8, 2017
These people are correct.
I should have explained the expectations of not doing the procedure. My patient should not have had to ask.
In this case, I hadn’t described what would happen without the procedure because he had come to me for a problem that was causing him to feel poorly, and the fix I offered was easy, elegant and low-risk.
My enthusiasm to help got in the way of offering the option of not having the procedure.
…
It turns out that my lousy job of providing informed consent was not the only criticism of this encounter.
Dr. Ajay Kirtane is a thoughtful and prominent interv...
Source: Dr John M - Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr John Source Type: blogs