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Be glad it wasn't a PA or NP...


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"The hospital issued a news release late Friday saying that the doctor who initially treated Duncan did have access to his travel history, after all."  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebola-outbreak-patient-thomas-eric-duncan-in-critical-condition/

 

First it was that he couldn't see the nurses chart, and now he "did have access" - whatever that means.  What about the doc simply asking, "Hey, dude with a foreign accent and viral infection symptoms...you traveled anywhere lately?"  And if he did know, why the heck did he discharge? If that were PA or an NP that did that, it would be ugly.
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I was praying it wasn't a PA, because a physician can make all kinds of mistakes and there are excuses. For a PA, one mistake and the whole profession would have been dissed.

What does EMED say for the docs: "It was a complex case, etc."

 

For the PA: "Moron! Any doc would have caught this."

 

In all fairness to the doc, whether he asked about travel or did not, I would have expected the pt. to be somewhat concerned about it. "Yeah I was just in Liberia carrying Ebola pts. around and now I'm sick... should I worry?"

 

I know you cannot rely on that, but I would be really stressing that fact as a pt.

 

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I too have been praying it wasn't a PA. Thankfully, its just another "doctor" making a mistake. We seem to be okay with that in the US. 

 

On a related note, a preceptor once told me, "How do you know a patient is lying?....They are talking."

 

Cynical? Yes. It's still something I have to remind myself from time to time.

 

I'm sure the CC was, "Gee, I don't know why I'm feeling this way, I just don't feel good. I want an antibiotic."

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I'm still not convinced that it will be a physician. This case is classic for fast track at this facility. It all depends on actual hour of presentation and what their FT hours are today. Used to be 9-9 a decade ago, 7 days/week, but most here go later now. Reporters may not have enough information yet to differentiate who the provider was.

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I'm still not convinced that it will be a physician. 

 

Maybe it won't be, but that's the thing.  If it is a physician, it will be swept under the rug as a "lack of communication" and/or due to a flaw in policy or procedure or in the system.  If it turns out to be a PA or NP, it will be due to their "lack of training" and further evidence that NP's and PA's shouldn't be in the roles they are in.

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