Comments on: The Trial of a WhiteCoat – Part 13

By: Max Entropy

Max Entropy — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:27:06 +0000

Great stuff here. If it was a book, I would have bought it.

I worked in a non-clinical position at a hospital for 14 years so I have a little understanding of what happens there.

When my mother went through an ER and was eventually admitted for bleeding, I took lots of notes about what the staff was doing and what they said to us. The ED staff even offered a notepad and pen when they saw me writing onthe back of receipts from my wallet. I had no intention of suing but I wanted a good record of what was happening and what I was told so that I could explain it to other family members (my wife is an RN and I knew that she was going to ask a thousand questions about the treatment and diagnosis) and my mom when she became more lucid.

By: ladyk73

ladyk73 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:23:30 +0000

I wrote notes when my mother was in the hospital. But in no ways detailed. Names of doctors and meds. I was in shock. Most of the time it was…what is your name? What do you do?

By: SeaSpray

SeaSpray — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:32:16 +0000

Oh no! Only TWO to go and I will have to wait for the next installment like everyone else!

What to do…what to do?

I’ll keep reading.. caught up in it now.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:36:13 +0000

Police resisted taping stops for years, but now most will say that it’s a wonderful thing. Much less ambiguity about what happened, particularly with DWI stops.

By: throckmorton

throckmorton — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:31:46 +0000

we looked into recording pateint encounters as well as care. We have closed circuit tv on all patients in the ICUs to help respond if there is a problem. We thought, why not record it? The HIPPA red tape turned out to be a nightmare. It turns out that because of HIPPA you can film and keep the tape on the parking lot but not in patient care areas!

By: Soronel Haetir

Soronel Haetir — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:32:48 +0000

I have crossed out permission to record or witness procedures from the surgical release paperwork. Got funny looks about it but the doctor accepted it.

By: WhiteCoat

WhiteCoat — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:52:36 +0000

You’ll just have to wait to find out.
A hint, though. The Grinch said that I was “snarling” when he described my testimony in his closing argument.

By: WhiteCoat

WhiteCoat — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:51:22 +0000

There are two schools of thought on this issue.
Some docs would welcome it – as long as they got to tape the interaction as well. I would personally like it. Video or at least audio recording would resolve any issues of fact regarding what was said and done. I usually talk through my exam anyway (“your heart sounds good, your lungs sound good, I don’t feel anything abnormal in your abdomen, etc”), so I could show I provided a complete exam and gave the patient proper instructions. I think doctors should be allowed to audio/video tape any exam they want.
On the other hand, some docs hate the thought of being taped.
If I had had a tape of the patient’s visit in my trial, there wouldn’t have been a trial to begin with.

By: jessi9380

jessi9380 — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:21:15 +0000

It’s creepy. Especially because generally the patient is the nice family member; the polite one, and the one who thanks you for trying to help them.

They’re the family members out to get the medical staff for some reason. Creeped me out every time, but I offered to spell medications, etc. for them just to make sure they had ‘complete’ notes. Passive aggressive, yes, but what the hell….

By: Supremacy Claus

Supremacy Claus — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:51:48 +0000

Adam: That’s funny. Isn’t it the lawyer who believes in mind reading, future forecasting, 12 strangers off the street can detect the truth using their gut feelings, and that standards of conduct should be set by a fictional character. Why? So the standards may be “objective.”

You do not find those core doctrines in the least bit odd. They are psychotic and delusional.