Making efficient rounds

This article suggests not –  What Happens When the Attending Comes to Work Rounds?  Efficiency occurs when the attending physician allows the resident to handle the care details.  The attending physician should (in my opinion) focus on the big picture.  The resident team should suggest care, and use the attending physician as a sounding board.  The attending physician should teach through a discussion of the differential diagnosis, or the appropriate test ordering strategy, and role modeling patient interactions (occasionally repeating the history, demonstrating physical exam findings, and even delivering news to the patient). The attending physician has a responsibility to prioritize the discussion with consistent awareness of time. This week I discussed rounds efficiency with my outstanding 3rd year resident.  He had some great insights: Table rounds – as most readers know I start each day with table rounds.  We review any new developments as well as imaging, lab results, and consultant recommendations.  We make certain that everyone on the team understands the plan.  When we go to see the patient, we focus on the patient.  My resident has had attending physicians who repeat much of the discussion outside the patient’s room.  He suggested that this repetition led to inefficient rounds. Hallway rounds – many attending physicians have discussions and presentations in the hallway.  He said that the problem with that is when you need to see...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs