Have you heard the one about the 71 year old man who was discharged from hospital being told that he was pregnant? It’s not a joke – but it is a bit of an exaggeration. No one actually tried to tell the grandfather he was pregnant, but an errant keystroke printed the wrong information onto the discharge papers.
The ironic diagnosis caused no physical harm, and probably gave the man some great new material for new stories to tell at the local pub, but at the same time is concerning because while this was an obvious mistake, it was still not spotted. It raises questions about how frequent subtle mistakes may pass scrutiny. Patients may consult with multiple different medical staff over the period of any single treatment and it’s essential that communication is accurate and consistent.
Thankfully, I’ve not had much need to personally experience public health, but a month ago I did break my thumb. Since then I’ve met with 7 different doctors in 3 different clinics who (I assume) have at some point passed on communications with each other.
I have complete confidence in the care that I’ve received, but I have been somewhat amazed at the lack of communication I’ve received around my diagnosis, options for treatment and future consequences.
Reflecting on my experience I have several streams of thought:
- the optimist in me thinks that I would have received more communication as a patient if the situation had been more serious or if I had simply asked;
- the anthropologist in me emphasises with the mental stress a patient may suffer when personal health is in question, and that the degree of their stress may not have any relation to the magnitute of their illness, and also understands that in the heat of the moment patients may not be able to think of all the appropriate questions to ask;
- the pragmatist in me understands that staff in public health are incredibly busy with their skills being stretched between many patients – and that given a choice in satisfying the physical and mental health of patients, the physical care takes priority; and finally
- the designer in me wonders what solutions might exist that allows patients to receive the communication they deserve, that doesn’t cost the physical treatment and care of other patients.
Is this something where process or technology could help? Or is it simply a matter of the number of staff to patients that are avaliable?
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[...] As part of process, the letter should be reviewed and signed by a clinical staff member to add ownership and responsibility to the touchpoint – hopefully this would avoid situations where 71 year old men are told they are pregnant! [...]
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