Some patients who need general medical care before a dental intervention can suffer increased risk for poor outcomes if they have compromised access to care.
AMA J Ethics. 2022;24(1):E6-12. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2022.6.
Alexa Curt and Margaret Samuels-Kalow, MD, MPhil, MSHP
Division between medical and dental care exacerbates health inequity and forces many with compromised access to seek oral health care in emergency departments.
AMA J Ethics. 2022;24(1):E13-18. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2022.13.
This case illustrates how emergency physicians find themselves with an empty toolbox and must compromise to meet their responsibilities to patients and themselves.
There are few situations in which the standard of care is so clear-cut as to preclude physician judgment. Assessing the degree of need (not just the standard of care) when asking a patient to spend money requires judgment.
This case illustrates how emergency physicians find themselves with an empty toolbox and must compromise to meet their responsibilities to patients and themselves.