Case Study: Pediatric Patient
Sammy is an 11-year-old child with chronic back pain and behavioral problems. Because Sammy has been acting out at home and at school and showing signs of depression, the school counselor has put the family in contact with the Department of Family Services. The social worker from family services referred the child to a community counselor to address the behavior problems and depressive symptoms. After evaluation, the counselor determines the symptoms are largely related to the back pain and suggests that the family take the child to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon to evaluate the back pain. The surgeon diagnoses the child with a lumbar herniated disk and suggests Sammy have surgery during a school break. In the interim, the doctor prescribes ibuprofen and refers the child to physical therapy to teach him targeted stretching and exercises for rehabilitation. The school counselor helps the family to secure a more comfortable chair for Sammy because sitting all day in his school desk was aggravating the pain.
Discussion Questions
- Who are the members of the interprofessional team in this case? Would you define this as a collaborative team? Explain.
- Who should have been the leader of this team?
- Discuss team communication related to Sammy’s issues. Which of the Interprofessional Communication Sub-competencies that apply to this case study were and were not demonstrated?
- Which of the Teams and Teamwork Sub-competencies that apply to this case study were and were not demonstrated?
- Do you think it helped or hindered the outcomes of the case that the healthcare professionals worked in different institutions?
Case Study: Pediatric Patient
Sammy is an 11-year-old child with chronic back pain and behavioral problems. Because Sammy has been acting out at home and at school and showing signs of depression, the school counselor has put the family in contact with the Department of Family Services. The social worker from family services referred the child to a community counselor to address the behavior problems and depressive symptoms. After evaluation, the counselor determines the symptoms are largely related to the back pain and suggests that the family take the child to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon to evaluate the back pain. The surgeon diagnoses the child with a lumbar herniated disk and suggests Sammy have surgery during a school break. In the interim, the doctor prescribes ibuprofen and refers the child to physical therapy to teach him targeted stretching and exercises for rehabilitation. The school counselor helps the family to secure a more comfortable chair for Sammy because sitting all day in his school desk was aggravating the pain.
Discussion Questions
- Who are the members of the interprofessional team in this case? Would you define this as a collaborative team? Explain.
- Who should have been the leader of this team?
- Discuss team communication related to Sammy’s issues. Which of the Interprofessional Communication Sub-competencies that apply to this case study were and were not demonstrated?
- Which of the Teams and Teamwork Sub-competencies that apply to this case study were and were not demonstrated?
- Do you think it helped or hindered the outcomes of the case that the healthcare professionals worked in different institutions?