Joebird23 Posted August 15, 2011 Do any of your own family members ever say "you should ask your doctor" or "you should go to the doctor" forgetting that you work in the medical field and already know the answer to what they are medically questioning. For example my aunt came over saying I need to go to the doctor and ask certain basic medical questions about my son when I already know the answers from 5 years of being a nurse. But instead of asking me the question directly it's always "maybe when you go to the doctor you can ask why he does that" lol
Contrarian Posted August 15, 2011 No... The exact opposite. They expect me to know everything, but I am the one who says "you should ask your doctor" or "you should go to the doctor" I agree that the medical provider who provides clinical care for himself... has a fool for a patient... :sweat: I heed the rule that we shouldn't provide healthcare for our family members or ourselves unless its a emergency. I am such a stickler for this rule that my wife used to get PISSED when she would start in with medical questions concerning her healthcare, or that of our children... and somewhere during the early part of the dialogue... once I was satisfied that there wasn't a life or limb threatening issue emerging... my eyes would glaze over and I would pretty much stop listening and simply hand her the telephone to make an appointment with her (or their) PCP. After a decade and a half of me explaining why... she now carefully chooses her words to avoid asking me to diagnose something and basically asks me if I think she should make a appointment. I guess this proves that she IS trainable...:heheh: YMMV Contrarian
jesscbv Posted August 15, 2011 Friends or family: "Am I having a heart attack." Me: "I don't know. But if you're asking me, you should probably be calling 911."
Moderator EMEDPA Posted August 16, 2011 Moderator No...The exact opposite. They expect me to know everything, but I am the one who says "you should ask your doctor" or "you should go to the doctor" I agree that the medical provider who provides clinical care for himself... has a fool for a patient... :sweat: I heed the rule that we shouldn't provide healthcare for our family members or ourselves unless its a emergency. I am such a stickler for this rule that my wife used to get PISSED when she would start in with medical questions concerning her healthcare, or that of our children... and somewhere during the early part of the dialogue... once I was satisfied that there wasn't a life or limb threatening issue emerging... my eyes would glaze over and I would pretty much stop listening and simply hand her the telephone to make an appointment with her (or their) PCP. After a decade and a half of me explaining why... she now carefully chooses her words to avoid asking me to diagnose something and basically asks me if I think she should make a appointment. I guess this proves that she IS trainable...:heheh: YMMV Contrarian I'm in the same boat. folks always ask me questions about esoteric subspecialty issues and I refer them back to their specialist md. I recently was in a situation in which I ended up taking care of a family member. they came into a place I was working and rather than transfer them I had one of my partners sign the chart and I basically told them what to do for the situation at hand so on record it was "their pt" but I ran the show.
Contrarian Posted August 16, 2011 I recently was in a situation in which I ended up taking care of a family member. they came into a place I was working and rather than transfer them I had one of my partners sign the chart and I basically told them what to do for the situation at hand so on record it was "their pt" but I ran the show. So ummm... I'm confused... WHO were you "assisting" when this occured... ??? Oh... I get it... a PA was "assisting" you... and you were "assisting" a absent physician right.... :wink: Long past time for a name change...:heheh:
greenmood Posted August 16, 2011 I've completed one quarter of PA school, no genmed. During the break, I was peppered with questions about medicine WAY beyond my skill level. I tried to explain my ignorance and the ethical issues re: treating family, but my Grandma says she's going to ask me again once I finish cardiology. I'm in deflection mode. So... opposite of the OP, I guess. I'm sure I'll see the other side eventually, especially since I'm now preaching it. Go see your doctor, G-ma.
Administrator rev ronin Posted August 16, 2011 Administrator One thing that we can and should do for our family is EDUCATE them. I never hesitate to listen, then provide "Here's what I think you should ask your doctor and here's why" advice to family members. Blowing them off is often not politically expedient, and I wouldn't really want to anyways. I do always point back to their own providers, and I've gotten compliments from my sister on how well prepared she was to talk to one of my nephew's specialist physicians after we'd discussed his condition.
Contrarian Posted August 16, 2011 One thing that we can and should do for our family is EDUCATE them. I never hesitate to listen, then provide "Here's what I think you should ask your doctor and here's why" advice to family members. Blowing them off is often not politically expedient, and I wouldn't really want to anyways. I do always point back to their own providers, and I've gotten compliments from my sister on how well prepared she was to talk to one of my nephew's specialist physicians after we'd discussed his condition. This I agree with... I do not hesitate to educate and or clarify if a question is asked about a established or working diagnosis another provider assigned after a thorough diagnostic work up, but I will NOT diagnose family (Wife, Kids, Siblings, Parents, cousins, etc.). There are tooooooooooo many problems/barriers involved that impedes good care and too many potential pitfalls (its also considered poor form, unprofessional conduct, and a sanctionable offense here in this state unless its a true emergency). As I see it... MY family deserves "GOLD STANDARD" care... and therefore should be able to candidly discuss ANYTHING with their healthcare providers without the added baggage of familial relations, or being concerned about reprecussions, or judgement. They shouldn't have to edit, conceal, alter their thoughts or actions when seeking care. My 18 yr old Daughter should be able to openly discuss her sexual activities with her provider and freely report any concerns, mishaps, or curiosities. My 20 yr old Son should be able to freely discuss masturbation, condom use, or his medical concerns following his run-in with a "lady-boy" in Phuket while intoxicated, etc... without worring about being judged. My Wife should be able to tell her provider about her medical concerns following a indescretion with the mail man... who just so happens to look like "LL Cool J"... whatever you get the point....
Moderator ventana Posted August 16, 2011 Moderator I try to only provide info to family, no dx but do say - "make sure they look into XYZ when you see your doc...." honestly it happened a whole bunch initially (3 ill grandparents) but lately (last 5 years) has sort of dropped off - probably multifactorial but I never officially treated them, just offered some coaching on what they could discuss with their PCP or specialist.... a few times I even recomended (gasp) that they see the Doc and not the PA/NP - {I know almost all the midlevels locally and it was a highly complex issue that was above the average functioning of the midlevel in the practice as there were zebra's in the fields....)
Acebecker Posted August 16, 2011 My boundaries on this have been pushed a lot on this topic lately. I had always swore that I wouldn't treat my family - and I strive not to. When my youngest came down with a "seal-like barking cough" I took her to the ER to prevent the need for admission. A few months later she started having respiratory distress with crackles, I again took her to the ER. But I felt I had to draw the line when her older sister started having copious yellow eye DC and conjunctival erythema - I could have taken the child to the local PA in quick care (this is most likely who she would have seen) but he would have given her Erythromycin ointment and sent her home. We had the medicine on hand, so I just treated it and it went away. I can't see the necessity to take a trip to the medical clinic, occupy an appointment someone else likely needed (who had no one else to provide their care), and situate myself with a co-pay plus 20% just for this. All that to say - we should not try to manage complex or life-threatening issues if there is alternative care available. But when it comes to pink-eye, otitis, or other routine issues, a little care for the family won't hurt. That's my $.02. What say ye? Andrew
Contrarian Posted August 16, 2011 See... thats the main problem right there... Its a slippery slope. Right now as a PA student with very little practice experience and/or medical knowledge its: "pink-eye, otitis, or other routine issues, a little care for the family won't hurt." Once you graduate and practice a while it will be other things... Next thing you know, you are in a heated psychological battle with your significant others about why you won't give them tramadol, Vicodin, oxycontin, Marinol, or anabolic steroids... and how you don't REALLY love them because you KNOW that they are in pain... but choose not to do anything about it. Consider this... How would you feel if your child or another relative DIED because YOU misdiagnosed something...??? Say you didn't want to 'situate yourself with a co-pay plus 20% just for this' pinkeye... but it was actually a metal FB, or acute narrow-angle gluacoma... or the "otitis" was actually subclinical mastoiditis--> meningitis--->death... or something else. Nahh... too close, let others care for YOU and your loved ones. Also that way when they screw up... you and your family actually have some recourse other than YOU losing your license to practice medicine and your job. YMMV Contarian
greenmood Posted August 17, 2011 Or there is a complication, and your loved one ends up going to the PCP or ER anyway. When that doc asks what's been done to treat already, what are they supposed to say? You've done no documentation, patient ed, blah blah blah.
medic25 Posted August 17, 2011 This is actually one of my favorite things about our move to electronic prescription writing. Now when the family member/friend comes calling for a Z-pak/eye drops/name your drug, I can honestly tell them that I can't write them a prescription without having them sign into the ED and registering as a patient. I knew there were some perks to EMR...
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