No decisions about me, without me
Aside from the gorgeous hike that we went on this morning, the conversations that stood out most to me to day were those about informed consent and high reliability organizations. I think that the statement in the title of this post can be applied to both.
Hearing the stories of Lewis Blackman and Michael Skolnik have motivated me to do better in ways that very few things are capable of doing. I want to do better for my patients, their families, and my colleagues. At the core of the Michael Skolnik case was the ineffective/absent process of informed consent. The presumption that patients and their families are as knowledgable of their disease and options as we clinicians are, without a carefully crafted and in-depth conversation, is deeply troubling. We have to find a way as clinicians to make time for these conversations, respect and involve patients and their families, and… Continue reading
We are clinicians, and we are human
To err is human, and to fail to recognize our humanity is disastrous. It think this recognition is at the core of what we’re talking about this week. One of the reasons that I’ve seen people being resistant to QI is because they are afraid that QI and patient safety interventions are making clinicians more “robotic” by introducing standardization and guidelines. Really though, I cannot think of a field that is trying harder than Patient Safety to get clinicians to recognize and accept themselves as human beings capable of error, empathy, creativity, mistakes, and brilliance.
We are all capable
Of humility. We began our second day in Marseille discussing disclosure of medical errors to patients and families. Recognizing our humanity in this situation is being able to admit failure, learn from it, and be humble enough to accept its consequences. That humility will allow us to tell patients and their… Continue reading
The Patient, My Purpose
With a day and a half at the Marseille Patient Safety Summer Camp behind me, I can honestly say that the experience thus far has exceeded even my very high expectations. Yesterday I was astounded by both the natural beauty of the setting that we are in and by the diversity of perspectives that my peers bring to this round table. I’m thrilled to be connecting with other students and young professionals from around the country who share my passion for patient safety and quality improvement, not to mention meeting the accomplished faculty who are true leaders in this field, and have set the stage for my generation of clinicians to make the healthcare system work better for the patients that it serves.
In addition, it’s truly refreshing to be working alongside both fellow medical students as well as nursing students and practicing nurses. It’s undeniable that interdisciplinary practice is… Continue reading