Patient Latest: A Case Study

This reading discusses the use of wireless alerts pagers in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit and how it affects both work practices and information flows through a qualitative study. From the research that exists, we can see that pagers are successful communication tools because of the mobility and immediacy they provide. Interviews were completed with physicians and pharmacist who used the pagers and nurses who did not use the pager about how it impacted their work. In addition to collecting data this way, the researchers also compiled observational data from watching the device be used in regular practice. The study noted that

Many people can relate to his personal battle with cancer and his dedication to cancer research. His speech was full of emotion. He gave examples of his anguish during a seven-day stay before the awards ceremony, explaining his liver complications, kidney failure, and multiple surgeries. This provided the audience with real life experiences to understand the depth of what this award stands for.

Despite his circumstances, Joel does his best to maintain his positive outlook. He says, “I have never gotten angry about my illnesses. I have been sad, but never angry.” In fact, in the face of this battle for his life, Joel finds contentment in maintaining his service to others. “The one thing having cancer has really done for me is it has reaffirmed my commitment to being of service to other people who are in greater need than I am. I found the path to unconditional love a long time ago. Having a life of love and care and compassion has been the right kind of life for

Mhealth has reached the poorest of communities (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). More than 9 million patients email their physician in 2009 (Digital Health Care, 2010), because patients’ busy lifestyles do not allow time for an office visit for non-emergent health conditions. . In recent years, the expansion of mobile health (mhealth) technologies, including health text messaging, mobile phone applications, remote monitoring, and portable sensors, have changed the way health care is being delivered in the U.S. and globally (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). Patients like the convenience of communicating with his or her physician through advanced technology.

There are many problems that could arise from a patient’s information landing into the hands of a stranger, a boss, an enemy, or any other individual that does not have permission to view that information.

In “Doctors, Patients Likely to Talk More Via Emails” (2013), Dean Olsen discuss about how communication through emails can improve or make matters worse for doctors and patients. Some patients are likely to email doctors before they visit in person, this way they can save time to get an appointment. Researchers also agree that using electronics enhance the aspect of care for patients. However, some doctors think that the patient should come see them in person for better care. The doctors and nurses already have other important things to handle, such as emergency situations, and taking care of the sick people. They do not have time to sit on the computer and chat with their patient. While someone is really sick, then

Texting Message can be used in health and social care setting. The technology is now

In this presentation he gave the backstory of his terminal diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and how is he still making most out of it. He states how he plans to utilize time he has left with his family. He explains what his priorities is and how he intends to achieve those goals. He was still struggling while approaching his family. The video is all about

Chronic health conditions, higher mortality rates, and mismanagement of preventative care are attributed to the frequent usage patient. This high usage patient group was identified as having multiple visits over a predefined time frame. Identifying the frequent usage patient however, proved difficult because each facility in the study group possessed its own definition. The panel did however agree on two traits of the frequent patient. They are most likely a member of a lower socioeconomic group and accessed emergency services for preventative or interventional care. Because the high usage patient has limited access to preventative care their mortality rates are higher, versus the control group, over a year. The study concluded that even though

Dutch was diagnosed with glioblastoma and had surgery to remove two tumors in 2013. Prognosis after his surgery was good, and he far outlived the average patient due to how aggressively brain tumors grow. Following his diagnosis, he opened the Darren Daulton Foundation, that provides medical relief for those fighting brain tumors and brain cancer. Dutch’s love and care for other people never wavered, despite what he was going through, much like the days of ice packs on his knees.

Terminally ill patients sometimes have misinterpreted life expectancies or even experience unexpected healing. Sharyn MacKay, a forty-six year old diagnosed with a kidney tumor, was told the cancer had spread and was incurable. Her doctors believed that chemotherapy would only add a few weeks to her life. However, MacKay strongly believed that she could win her battle against cancer. Three months later, after prayer and determination, her tumor had disappeared.

It was an early Friday morning, most of the patients were asleep but few were awake. The nurses and doctors where going round doing their early rounds, making sure someone’s not died. This was the transplant unit, only the few selected to have a transplant would be on this ward. The ward only had around 10 patients on it but that was enough to keep everyone busy. One patient was named Jim. Jim was here for a heart transplant, not just any transplant, after this operation he would have two hearts.

There were 34 unsuccessful calls and out of those six were no-shows (see data table 2). For means of this study an unsuccessful call is when the patient has bad contact information or does not answer and does have a voicemail box set up on their given number. If there was no answer, but the patient had an option to leave a message, then a reminder message was left. If a voice message was left for the patient, then the call does not fall into either category because it cannot be determined whether or not the intended recipient of the message indeed received it prior to their examination time. The results of the third data-table concluded that there was a p-value of .00714, which using a significance of .05, causing this to be significant. Therefore, we can determine that successful reminder phone calls decrease patient no-show rates. This added parameter could account for the variance in research conclusions when it comes to reminder phone calls.

After a week working in the hospital, I went on home visits with nurses, doctors, nutritionists, psychologists and a monk. The first patient lives in a shabby wooden house. A great contrast could be seen between the room that the patient lives in and the rest of the house. “The patient is diagnosed with prostate cancer with bone metastasis. The room is specially built for him by the hospital and his family. He won’t live long.” A nurse told me. On another visit, I met a man with esophagus cancer.

I step into the recovery room and hear the steady beep of the vitals machine. My bone marrow donor is wide awake and sitting up in bed; he is in recovery following his marrow stem cell donation. I immediately notice his beaming smile, a sharp contrast to the drab hospital room and a remarkable reaction considering all he has been through that morning. I sit down and speak to him to assess his health and ensure he is recovering as expected. His first question for me is not about his own health, but the health of another patient to whom he has been willing to donate, a person he doesn’t know, has never met, and may never even have the opportunity to communicate with depending on where they are being treated. I assure him that his donated cells have been processed and transported successfully, but we will not know anything specific about the recovery of his recipient for about another 30 days. He relaxes his body back slightly on the hospital bed and continues to smile. I haven’t told him anything he doesn’t already know, yet a sense of fulfillment seems to wash over and emanate from him. His contentment is infectious.