POM: Practice of Medicine Podcast: Recent Episodes
COM OAT
Today we are going to talk about health care systems. This is an important topic for future physicians because of the increasing importance of system-based practices, where physicians are aware of how the system works, how to best navigate it to advocate for the needs of their patients.
We’re going to dive into this issue a lot more in the session and explain why cultural competency is not simply a buzz term, but really does impact quality healthcare.
Patient safety is a healthcare discipline that emphasizes the reporting, analysis, and prevention of medical errors that often lead to adverse healthcare events.
The American College of Physicians (ACP), the AMA, and most other professional medical societies and organizations have published guidelines or position papers on “the impaired physician”. Impairment interferes with the ability of a physician to carry out patient care responsibilities safely and effectively. It can have many causes, including substance use disorders, mental illness, profound fatigue, or a decline in cognitive or motor skills due to age or disease. As an important note: the presence or treatment of a disorder does not necessarily imply that the physician is impaired.
Medicine: it’s an incredibly rewarding profession. The opportunity and ability to comfort and heal the sick is an absolute privilege. However, if you are not careful, that wonderful of all professions can consume you. The healthcare environment with its packed work days, demanding pace, time pressures, and emotional intensity can put physicians and other clinicians at high risk for burnout.