Sunday, July 3, 2011
Scavenger Hunt
We do our best to share the pain of who takes call during the holidays. This year it is my turn to take call during the great medical center wide scavenger hunt called the first week in July. This is when all the new interns start. They are doing their best to find their way around while learning to take care of patients. Of course, the new "patient centered focus" means that instead of actually learing to take care of patients they are learning how to navigate their way through the hospitals new Computerized Order Entery system that was also started this first week of July. (note to self, dont get sick the first week of July). Where we used to have interns lost trying to find interventional radiology and the microlab, they are now lost in cyberspace trying to figure out why insulin is listed in the computer under "adult" instead of "insulin"! Before, interns and residents all had Washington Manuals in their pockets so they had a quick reference on what to do when the patient s/p xlap for dead bowel went into vtach. Now their pockets are full of notes on how do you log in and make your way through all the HIPPA screens to find out if the patient already had been given his K. I was called in to consult on a gentleman and when I sat down and talked with him, he said "I hope that d*** computer is doing better because I sure aint!"
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Just plain scary!
Makes me think people are better off in non teaching hospitals where they only have seasoned doctors. ?
Although ...I suppose it is the tertiary care ctrs that see the largest volume of difficult cases ...thus more experienced physicians ..if ..pt only has the experienced physician caring for them. Operating,etc.
On the show Scrubs,the infamous Dr Cox tells the residents they WILL kill someone.
And I was just reading this MSN article yesterday in which they said don't have surgery in July/explanation unnerving and also stated that 31,ooo people die form hospital acquired infections every yr and that almost rivals death to breast cancer rate per yr. Gee ..with stats like that ...you'd think there would be a ribbon and public awareness for how to avoid/prevent hospital infections.
http://health.msn.com/healthy-living/dont-get-surgery-in-july?gt1=31036
There was one thing I liked hearing about the EMRs ...but not all hospitals have this system and that is it flags/prevents medication errors ...which would certainly help the new med students and harried staff.
I've been on the other end of having to wait for pharmacy in a hospital when I had pain after a procedure.
Everything you write demonstrates how complicated everything is ...JUST to do your job ..be there and facilitate healing in the patient. Keep fighting the good fight Throckmorton.
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