Re: Will somebody PLEASE tell these doctors....
7. If you want us to follow that order, please make it LEGIBLE.
8. If you DC/reduce the pain med/sleeper on your frequent flyer drug dependant one day postop patient in traction, please tell THE PATIENT that you feel that they don't need it. That is YOUR job.
9. The admitting MD should address code status, as soon as appropriate. They will not play MD russian roulette, passing that "gun" around to each of the 5 specialists, hoping that the "gun" goes off on the specialists and not the PCP. This is not fair nor ethical care of your patient. And PS: if a competent patient requests to be a "no code"...it is their right to be one and if you are unwilling to comply, then you need to tell them upfront and permit them to transfer their care to another HCP. Do not wait two weeks into the hopsitalization, allow them to deteriorate, then find out that they are a full code, and prohibit transfer of care since they are no longer "competent". Or require a psych consult for suicidal ideation before permitting no code status. (did Terri Schiavo's fight mean nothing?)