Dr Catherine V. Caldicott joins Ethics Talk to discuss why turfing, despite being such a common, troublesome ethical issue, receives such little attention in the literature, how clinicians can ensure appropriate and safe transfers of care, and what health professions students and trainees can do to confront turfing when they see it.
Dr Steven Starks joins Ethics Talk to discuss the shortage of geriatric psychiatrists and how cross-specialty training can prepare clinicians of all specialties to care for geriatric patients.
Dr Rajesh R. Tampi joins Ethics Talk to discuss his article, coauthored with Drs Aarti Gupta and Iqbal Ahmed: “Why Does the US Overly Rely on International Medical Graduates in Its Geriatric Psychiatric Workforce?”
The physician must help patients understand that all options—further testing, surgery, no action—carry risks and benefits. Disclosing the statistical probability of injury and other possible outcomes might help, but it can also hinder the process.
After assessing the reasons for a patient’s unrealistic hopefulness in the face of clear understanding, a clinician may believe that significant harm will come to the patient if he or she does not acknowledge the seriousness of the illness.
One strategy is to determine “triggers” that alert the primary clinician that the patient has a high symptom burden or difficulty coping with the diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment plans and should be offered palliative care services.