Elders, doctors and consults

A few days ago I learned that doctors are in some settings expected to see 40 patients a day. What’s the math on 40 patients in a day?

Today I spoke with a couple of therapists about getting the doctor involved in elder care, specifically to give the family time for a consult and prognosis, and to take part in the quarterly plan of care meeting. One of them laughed at me and the other almost did. Doctors don’t do those things!

I continue to believe that doctors overwhelmingly have a heart for their patients, but the system demands they limit their minutes per patient. Who would want to become a doctor?

Maybe that is why doctors are easier for pharmaceutical companies to persuade than our prior generations of doctors were: what can you do to education patients for better self-health care or in therapeutic efforts and just plain ingenuity in a few minutes?

:- Doug.

About dgermann

Elder Caring Lawyer
This entry was posted in Aging, Emergency/Crisis Medical, Healing and Wholeness, Long-Term Care and nursing homes. Bookmark the permalink.

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