The importance of not just obtaining informed consent but going beyond that to make a shared decision that fits with a patient’s values is something that I feel needs to be of higher priority. At my home institution, the anesthesia resident that is on call is responsible for pre-oping and obtaining the anesthetic consents from all patients who are currently admitted and scheduled for the OR the following day. It is an arduous task that not many of us look forward to. This task is usually considered lowest priority, and is expected to be accomplished during the residents “free time” during their call shift. If there are, for example, 20 patients that need to be seen, spending 15 minutes with each patient as opposed to just 5 minutes means taking 5 hours to complete the task, as opposed to less than… Continue reading →

I found the story of Lewis Blackman really surprising. I had heard the name before, but was unaware of the details surrounding the situation. Although there were multiple issues at play here, I thought this really demonstrated the importance of having clear and open communication amongst all care members, and family members. Looking forward to our second day!