Props to the UNM hospital for such swift and decisive action. Even if the patients in the photos cannot be identified, just to know one's arm, leg, torso, etc. is in a pic unknowingly posted to someone's MySpace profile is just disturbing.
Sadly enough, this incident, even if isolated, gives a bad impression of the hospital. Given a choice, will patients want to be treated at a hospital with this history? Maybe, maybe not-but by the hospital taking immediate action, it lessens the chances of this type of occurrence happening again.
*****
Hospital Workers Axed for Snapping Photos of Patients, Uploading to MySpace
Monday, September 22, 2008
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Two University of New Mexico Hospital employees have been fired for using their cell phone cameras to take photos of patients receiving treatment and then posting the images to a social networking Web site.
Director of Public Affairs Sam Giammo said Sunday the photos — mainly close-ups of injuries being treated in the Albuquerque hospital's emergency room over the past few months — were posted on an employee's private MySpace page.
Giammo said he's never heard of a similar incident at the University of New Mexico Hospital or any other hospital.
A few other hospital employees were disciplined and the investigation is ongoing, he said.
UNMH values patient privacy "very, very highly and we will do everything we can to protect them," Giammo said. "We just won't tolerate unprofessional actions by any of our staff. We just won't stand for that."
The photos were discovered after a hospital supervisor received an anonymous tip about them Tuesday and launched an investigation.
Hospital managers personally oversaw the removal of the photos from the Web site and from the employees' cell phones, Giammo said.
"We have to rely on the people telling us that they don't have any others," he said.
The patients in the photos could not be notified that their pictures had been taken because their faces and personal identifying features had been removed from the photos, Giammo said.
Giammo said the MySpace page could only be accessed by the employee's online friends, not the general public.
Giammo said the employees who were fired violated a hospital policy that bans the use of cell phone cameras in patient areas. The other employees were disciplined for not bringing the photos to the attention of managers, he said.
The hospital is treating the matter as an employment issue and law enforcement has not been involved, Giammo said.
The use of cell phone cameras in hospitals have caused breaches of patient privacy or concern about such violations in California, Arizona and South Dakota in recent years.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
"Florida Society of Medical Assistants"
Thanks to the FSMA for the opportunity to present at the state conference on Sat., Sept. 20!
Thank all of you for being such a warm and receptive audience AND for your commitment to excellence in customer service AND patient care.
Special thanks to Mary Morris for being such a great client and helping arrange the event!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Teleconference Network Of Texas
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Yesterday was a first for yours truly. I was the guest presenter for a teleconference arranged by the Teleconference Network of Texas out of UT Health Science Center in San Antonio. We had a group of nutritionists from across the country hooked into the bridge and, based on some of the feedback via E mail, it went well! For the guy who’s real interactive with the audience, giving a program without human feedback was a challenge, but it went really well!
Special thanks to B.J. Brown in San Antonio for being such a great host and moderator! I’d include some pictures, but since this was over the phone, you don’t really want to see me sitting on my couch in a grubby old tee shirt and khaki shorts, do ya?!
Yesterday was a first for yours truly. I was the guest presenter for a teleconference arranged by the Teleconference Network of Texas out of UT Health Science Center in San Antonio. We had a group of nutritionists from across the country hooked into the bridge and, based on some of the feedback via E mail, it went well! For the guy who’s real interactive with the audience, giving a program without human feedback was a challenge, but it went really well!
Special thanks to B.J. Brown in San Antonio for being such a great host and moderator! I’d include some pictures, but since this was over the phone, you don’t really want to see me sitting on my couch in a grubby old tee shirt and khaki shorts, do ya?!
Three Things To Remember Every Time You Meet A Patient
Today, I had an appointment with a pulmonologist who specializes in sleep disorders. Turns out, he’s a fantastically nice physician AND he has a great staff!
After only a few minutes in the waiting room, we were led to the exam room. This is where it gets good!
The nurse comes in with a big smile on her face (that’s thing #1). “I’m Anna. Can I get your vitals?” (that’s #2 and #3)
Smile. Something so easy, totally free and has so, so much power! Plus, any time a patient sees a new physician, chances are, there’s going to be a little nervousness. Anna’s smile put me at ease. It indicates that if she’s happy, then her working conditions are good and she works for a good boss. Can’t say that across the board, but there’s something in that sub-consciously which made me know the doctor would also be a good guy.
Second, she introduced herself. Who wants to be touched by someone they don’t know? No one! But as soon as Anna told me her name, we had a connection. Simple as that, I felt like she was making a human connection, not just doing her tasks which happened to involve my body.
Third, she asked. In my state, if I touch anyone without his/her permission, it’s considered battery. When Anna introduced herself, it eased my worry and that eased my defensiveness. When she was considerate and asked for my vitals, I was all too happy to oblige!
Just three things, but remembering this trifecta is certain to help your patients see you as a true pro!
After only a few minutes in the waiting room, we were led to the exam room. This is where it gets good!
The nurse comes in with a big smile on her face (that’s thing #1). “I’m Anna. Can I get your vitals?” (that’s #2 and #3)
Smile. Something so easy, totally free and has so, so much power! Plus, any time a patient sees a new physician, chances are, there’s going to be a little nervousness. Anna’s smile put me at ease. It indicates that if she’s happy, then her working conditions are good and she works for a good boss. Can’t say that across the board, but there’s something in that sub-consciously which made me know the doctor would also be a good guy.
Second, she introduced herself. Who wants to be touched by someone they don’t know? No one! But as soon as Anna told me her name, we had a connection. Simple as that, I felt like she was making a human connection, not just doing her tasks which happened to involve my body.
Third, she asked. In my state, if I touch anyone without his/her permission, it’s considered battery. When Anna introduced herself, it eased my worry and that eased my defensiveness. When she was considerate and asked for my vitals, I was all too happy to oblige!
Just three things, but remembering this trifecta is certain to help your patients see you as a true pro!
Monday, September 15, 2008
"Is Your Doctor Laughing at You?"
Interesting study. And doesn't it show how docs, just like the rest of us, know what is right, but sometimes still choose wrong?
- Marcus
By Theresa Tamkins.
Provided by Health.com Y
ou’re sick, in the hospital, or maybe even undergoing surgery. The last thing you want to contemplate is the thought that your doctor might be making fun of your tattoos while you’re anesthetized.But does it happen? Yes.
According to a survey of doctors starting a residency in internal medicine, 17% had—along with their colleagues—made fun of a patient, sometimes when the patient was under.
Egad. Is nothing sacred? The good news, though, is that 94% of the 110 medical interns who took the anonymous survey realized that such behavior was inappropriate, according to a research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
That means that only seven doctors in the survey thought that type of behavior was A-OK.
I guess it’s not that surprising, given the behavior of our on-air favorites. From Grey’s Anatomy to House, the overwhelming warts-and-all portrait seems to be this: Doctors are human. They fall in love, they get angry, and they like a good chuckle—sometimes at the patient’s expense.
Is it so surprising that some of those bad on-air behaviors might occur in real life too?
Is unprofessional behavior more common than in the past?Television shows from yesteryear, such as Marcus Welby, M.D., and Dr. Kildare, presented doctors as somber and ultraprofessional, but that doesn’t mean that unprofessional behavior is a new problem, says study author Vineet Arora, MD, an assistant dean at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago.“Those shows projected a much more professional image,” she tells me, but “to say that this is a new phenomenon would not be correct.”
Learning respect and discretion are part of the so-called hidden curriculum—all of the things doctors learn on-the-job that don’t have to do with diagnosing and treating diseases.
Hospitals want to make sure that more seasoned doctors don’t promote or perpetuate unprofessional behavior and that newly minted MDs—like those surveyed—learn what is appropriate and inappropriate by the time they finish their residency, the training period after medical school. While the teaching hospitals aren’t trying to drain all the humor out of the residency experience, they want to teach doctors where to draw the line. “I do think there are examples of really good-natured humor that is therapeutic, but not at someone’s expense,” she says.
And laughter at a patient’s expense could compromise care, says Dr. Arora. “What if you were a patient and someone made fun of you behind your back?” she says. “You trust somebody to care for you and you would wonder about their ability to be objective and truly care for you.” Dr.
Arora couldn’t say whether the behavior of TV doctors -- such as Dr. House -- influences real-life doctors in any way. “That’s an interesting question,” she says. But TV programs do influence the public’s image of doctors.“Certainly media portrayal of physicians definitely has an impact on the public perception of physicians,” she says.Burnout may contribute to unprofessional behavior Dr. Arora suspects that sleep deprivation and burnout are part of the problem. Doctors who behave unprofessionally, she explains, might have troubles of their own. “There’s a lot of good data to suggest that people who are sleep-deprived in these settings do have more staff conflicts and burnouts and could possibly even further exacerbate unprofessional behavior,” she says.And there are more serious behavioral problems—aside from laughing at patients.
The survey included questions about behavior that is frowned upon, such as attending a pharmaceutical-sponsored dinner or social event (69%), as well as behaviors that are considered egregious, including falsifying patient records (13%), and reporting patient test results as “normal” when unsure of the true results (10%). “Those are examples that would compromise patient safety,” Dr. Arora says.An unprofessional demeanor in residency could spell trouble for your entire career, she adds. Research has shown that those with poor ratings on professional behavior early in their careers are at greater risk of disciplinary action later on.
- Marcus
By Theresa Tamkins.
Provided by Health.com Y
ou’re sick, in the hospital, or maybe even undergoing surgery. The last thing you want to contemplate is the thought that your doctor might be making fun of your tattoos while you’re anesthetized.But does it happen? Yes.
According to a survey of doctors starting a residency in internal medicine, 17% had—along with their colleagues—made fun of a patient, sometimes when the patient was under.
Egad. Is nothing sacred? The good news, though, is that 94% of the 110 medical interns who took the anonymous survey realized that such behavior was inappropriate, according to a research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
That means that only seven doctors in the survey thought that type of behavior was A-OK.
I guess it’s not that surprising, given the behavior of our on-air favorites. From Grey’s Anatomy to House, the overwhelming warts-and-all portrait seems to be this: Doctors are human. They fall in love, they get angry, and they like a good chuckle—sometimes at the patient’s expense.
Is it so surprising that some of those bad on-air behaviors might occur in real life too?
Is unprofessional behavior more common than in the past?Television shows from yesteryear, such as Marcus Welby, M.D., and Dr. Kildare, presented doctors as somber and ultraprofessional, but that doesn’t mean that unprofessional behavior is a new problem, says study author Vineet Arora, MD, an assistant dean at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago.“Those shows projected a much more professional image,” she tells me, but “to say that this is a new phenomenon would not be correct.”
Learning respect and discretion are part of the so-called hidden curriculum—all of the things doctors learn on-the-job that don’t have to do with diagnosing and treating diseases.
Hospitals want to make sure that more seasoned doctors don’t promote or perpetuate unprofessional behavior and that newly minted MDs—like those surveyed—learn what is appropriate and inappropriate by the time they finish their residency, the training period after medical school. While the teaching hospitals aren’t trying to drain all the humor out of the residency experience, they want to teach doctors where to draw the line. “I do think there are examples of really good-natured humor that is therapeutic, but not at someone’s expense,” she says.
And laughter at a patient’s expense could compromise care, says Dr. Arora. “What if you were a patient and someone made fun of you behind your back?” she says. “You trust somebody to care for you and you would wonder about their ability to be objective and truly care for you.” Dr.
Arora couldn’t say whether the behavior of TV doctors -- such as Dr. House -- influences real-life doctors in any way. “That’s an interesting question,” she says. But TV programs do influence the public’s image of doctors.“Certainly media portrayal of physicians definitely has an impact on the public perception of physicians,” she says.Burnout may contribute to unprofessional behavior Dr. Arora suspects that sleep deprivation and burnout are part of the problem. Doctors who behave unprofessionally, she explains, might have troubles of their own. “There’s a lot of good data to suggest that people who are sleep-deprived in these settings do have more staff conflicts and burnouts and could possibly even further exacerbate unprofessional behavior,” she says.And there are more serious behavioral problems—aside from laughing at patients.
The survey included questions about behavior that is frowned upon, such as attending a pharmaceutical-sponsored dinner or social event (69%), as well as behaviors that are considered egregious, including falsifying patient records (13%), and reporting patient test results as “normal” when unsure of the true results (10%). “Those are examples that would compromise patient safety,” Dr. Arora says.An unprofessional demeanor in residency could spell trouble for your entire career, she adds. Research has shown that those with poor ratings on professional behavior early in their careers are at greater risk of disciplinary action later on.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Florida Civitan Convention
Thanks to the Florida Civitan Convention for inviting me to keynote on Saturday, Sept. 13!
Civitan (if you're not familiar), is a civic organization with a strong emphasis in providing assistance to individuals with developmental disabilities. And a more quality group you cannot find! Business, civic and faith-based leaders all compose this organization with a really special mission!
Thanks to Jean Smith, the Florida Civitan Governor, and also to Dr. David Persky for promoting my services to yet another group! Pics include me with Abigail Persky (Dr. Persky's daughter and one of my coolest friends from Academy at the Lakes).
Civitan (if you're not familiar), is a civic organization with a strong emphasis in providing assistance to individuals with developmental disabilities. And a more quality group you cannot find! Business, civic and faith-based leaders all compose this organization with a really special mission!
Thanks to Jean Smith, the Florida Civitan Governor, and also to Dr. David Persky for promoting my services to yet another group! Pics include me with Abigail Persky (Dr. Persky's daughter and one of my coolest friends from Academy at the Lakes).
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