The consult was for “decreased vision and eye pain.” Inpatient consults at the VA hospital come up infrequently, but when they do, it’s inevitably something interesting. As soon as I access the patient’s medical record, a flashing rectangular box encasing a smattering of phrases such as “warning,” “inappropriate behavior,” and “female employees” pops up on the screen. I’m accompanied by one of our female residents, Dr. Smith. Once we leave our busy clinic, I inform her of our patient’s history of harassment. As concerned as I am about this piece of trivia, she brushes it off as if I told her she needed a coat in 80-degree weather.
We exit the elevator on the 8th floor, turn right, and as we pass the nurse’s station are asked who we are looking for. We must have seemed lost. Ophthalmologists do not frequent the inpatient floors. After finding the patient’s room, I introduce myself and Dr. Smith before beginning our evaluation. We work quickly as a team, taking turns checking vision, intraocular pressure, pupils, and visual fields. An ophthalmology exam has many moving parts, so it’s nice to have a partner. As we proceed through our choreographed activity, the patient stops us, looks at Dr. Smith and barks, “Hey honey, can you hand me that cup of water?” Without skipping a beat, she responds, “Actually, it’s Dr. Smith, and yes I can.” We wordlessly finish our exam, explain the findings and plan with the patient and leave the room. Once back in the elevator, I shake my head, “I’m sorry you have to deal with that kind of thing.” My fellow resident sighs, “Whatever, I’m used to it.”
I was at once both impressed and disheartened with how she handled this situation. By quickly correcting the patient, she did her best to squelch the inappropriate behavior and reassert the respect she had a right to hold. For that, I was thoroughly impressed. However, I was dismayed by the effortless way she shut him down. This wasn’t the first time this had happened. This wasn’t the tenth time. It was a regular occurrence. Part of a daily checklist, sandwiched between morning coffee and checking email.
Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
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