iPosted It...Medicine

Colleagues in a Hallway. (Docs-in-a-hall). A metaphor for rounds?

Example 1.

You are walking down the hallway thinking about your patient who now seems more short of breath, despite good diuresis overnight. Dr. X passes by. She greets you...

"Hey, Dr. Y! Good morning, how you doing?"

You reply, relieved to have run into her, "Good, hey do you have a minute?"

Moving to the side of the hallway you fill her in on your patient and his persistent dyspnea. It all takes less than a minute.


Example 2. Another Day, Different Patient

You are pleased with some new understanding you have about your patient...a treatment that is working well. This time Dr. W passes by.

"Hey, Dr. W, good morning. Got a minute?"

"Sure, good to see you."

"Listen... Do you remember Ms. Q from January? Well, she is better! Here's what we've done..."

It takes about a minute and information is passed on.


What does this mean for our rounds?
I propose this as a model for rounds on Friday. Not a hallway, but a room with colleagues. You remind us about your patient's story in one minute, and share your question or observation. Then the group comments for 3-4 minutes. (More detailed references can be posted to the web). Everybody comes to the room with a story & question or story & observation.

For Friday?...
Please bring a clinical story and question/observation. We can start and present in our meeting room. I will bring some stories as well, and may move some of mine to the bedside.

If you don't a have a clinical story, then bring a question or observation about a national or international health concern.

Idea is to spread the chance to ask and talk about what we are individually interested in.

Last update: 7/11/02; 7:43:52 AM.