Hey guys,
just a quick question on patient confidentiality. Aside from the obvious, if you don't mention names do you think its appropriate to discuss other patients in front of patients? For example, i find it sometimes helpful with kids to say, "this other boy I'm treating blow's 20 lots of bubbles, i wonder if you could do that". That is one example but basically i find it helpful to use other kids as motivators or to let the pt know what they can work towards which is particularly helpful when two kids have the same condition. In such a small hospital I'm wondering whether this is appropriate and am a little unsure about whether I am breaching confidentiality or not? Any thoughts?
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2 comments:
I don't think that you are breaching pt confidentiality unless you include details like 'this 15 y.o. patient who comes from Subiaco and was admited to this hospital at such and such date .... etc..', where a combination of the info you offer may enable others to come to a conclusion that this patient is indeed 15 y.o. John Doe from Subiaco who was admitted to hospital last week.
That's as far as what I understand.
Chin.
Yes i also think that its ok to use other patients as motivators, especially with kids. You could use the same strategy however avoid and risk of confidentiality by making up a hypothetical patient -combining factors from several kids you have seen. One method my supervisor used (in paeds ortho) was to start a competiton between two very unmotivated kids in the same room who both had to achieve SLR with a full leg cast on. This worked really well but of course you'd have to have the right personalities and medical conditions & considerations to attempt it safely.
I guess with some kids you have to use whatever you can to motivate them, as theyre not interested in a physio/medical rationale! Good luck!
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