Case Study: TIC, Not Tick!
Ms. Brown is a 79-year-old patient in a small gastroenterology clinic. The clinic hired a young gastroenterologist (GE), who took over the care of patients from a doctor who had just retired. It is the custom in the clinic for the nurses to put a sticky note on top of the chart with the name of the patient, the examining room where the patient would be placed, and the reason for the visit. In the case of Ms. Brown, the nurse put “TICK” as the reason for the visit. The young GE thought it was strange that she was seeing someone for a tick bite, but she went ahead to the room. During examination, the doctor asked the patient, “Were you given antibiotics?” The patient responded, “For what?” The doctor said, “For the tick bite?” The patient yelled back, “What tick bite? I am here for diverticulitis!” (A common abbreviation for diverticulitis is “TIC.”)
Discussion Questions
- What was the communication problem in this case? At the personal level? At the clinic level?
- What could have each of the team members involved in this case have done to prevent this communication problem?
- Besides the specific Sub-competencies for Interprofessional Communication, which other specific Sub-competencies could improve the care in this situation?
Case Study: TIC Not Tick!
Ms. Brown is a 79-year-old patient in a small gastroenterology clinic. The clinic hired a young gastroenterologist (GE), who took over the care of patients from a doctor who had just retired. It is the custom in the clinic for the nurses to put a sticky note on top of the chart with the name of the patient, the examining room where the patient would be placed, and the reason for the visit. In the case of Ms. Brown, the nurse put “TICK” as the reason for the visit. The young GE thought it was strange that she was seeing someone for a tick bite, but she went ahead to the room. During examination, the doctor asked the patient, “Were you given antibiotics?” The patient responded, “For what?” The doctor said, “For the tick bite?” The patient yelled back, “What tick bite? I am here for diverticulitis!” (A common abbreviation for diverticulitis is “TIC.”)
Discussion Questions
- What was the communication problem in this case? At the personal level? At the clinic level?
- What could have each of the team members involved in this case have done to prevent this communication problem?
- Besides the specific Sub-competencies for Interprofessional Communication, which other specific Sub-competencies could improve the care in this situation?