Thursday, February 29, 2024

Making It Up As They Go

The increased difficulty in navigating the medical community and encountering indifference or dismissiveness from some orthopedic doctors after surgery can be attributed to a variety of factors. Some possible reasons include:


1. Overwhelmed Healthcare System: Healthcare systems worldwide are often overburdened and understaffed, leading to healthcare professionals being stretched thin and having limited time to spend with each patient. This can result in communication gaps and a lack of personalized attention.


2. Lack of Empathy or Communication Skills: Some doctors may lack strong interpersonal or communication skills, leading to dismissive or indifferent behaviors. Medical professionals, like any other profession, can vary in their abilities to effectively communicate and empathize with patients.


3. Legal Concerns: In today's litigious society, some doctors may feel defensive or guarded due to fears of malpractice lawsuits. This can sometimes lead to a protective or defensive attitude, which may come across as dismissive or indifferent.


4. Burnout and Stress: Healthcare professionals, including orthopedic surgeons, often face high levels of stress and burnout due to demanding schedules, long work hours, and emotionally taxing situations. This can sometimes manifest in behaviors that appear indifferent or dismissive.


It is important to remember that these are general reasons and may not apply to all healthcare professionals. However, if you feel that your concerns are not being adequately addressed by your orthopedic doctor, it is important to advocate for yourself and seek a second opinion or consult with a different healthcare provider who may be more receptive to your needs and concerns. Communication is key in any doctor-patient relationship, and finding a healthcare provider who listens to and respects your concerns is crucial for effective medical care.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Caring Hearts Lending Closet

Caring Hearts Lending Closet accepts donations of used medical equipment for those in need

Karin Kennedy, a member of the congregation at The Blue Church in Springfield, is all smiles as she shows off the large inventory of medical equipment that she has in stock for those in need. The Media resident, a former physical therapist, founded the Caring Hearts Lending Closet as a place where people in the community can donate used medical equipment that they no longer need or use and others in need can come get it. She is pictured in front of commodes, wheelchairs and shower chairs.


By PEG DEGRASSA | pdegrassa@delconewsnetwork.com 

 The Delaware County Daily Times


PUBLISHED: July 18, 2019 at 12:10 a.m. | UPDATED: August 23, 2021 at 10:58 a.m.


Is there anyone who doesn’t have some kind of durable medical equipment lying around their garage, basement or spare room just taking up space? What does one do with the crutches, canes and walkers used at one time to walk after an injury, but no longer needed? Many thrift shops won’t take the items and we feel too guilty to just toss away perfectly good equipment that had cost our insurance companies a pretty penny. Plus, all that easy-come, easy-go tossed away trash is not good for the earth.


On the flip side, there are those in our community who may need a wheelchair for an aging parent or spouse or may be short on cash and not able to purchase needed medical equipment or supplies.


Delaware County now has an answer – the Caring Hearts Lending Closet (CHLC), located in The Blue Church at 940 Baltimore Pike, Springfield. Thanks to the vision of Karin Kennedy of Media, Caring Hearts Lending Closet opened its doors in 2016 and is growing larger every year, as more and more local people discover its value.


Working as a physical therapist in Maryland, Karin Kennedy treated many patients with acute injuries and illnesses. Doctors would order their patients crutches, walkers and other durable medical equipment. The patients would use the items for a short period, get better and no longer need the equipment. She’d also see patients who needed specific medical equipment but couldn’t get it due to cost or insurance issues. Karin wished there was a way to give the no-longer-needed equipment to those who could really use it. The thought never left her head.


After moving back to Delco, Karin was busy raising her two daughters and son. She switched careers, and now works as a data base administrator at Sacred Heart Academy in Bryn Mawr. In her spare time, Karin volunteered at The Transition Town Media’s Free Store at 350 West State St., where people bring items that they no longer want or need and shoppers take the items for free if they have a use for them. The community store is staffed entirely by volunteers. It was at The Free Store where the medical equipment exchange idea came back to the forefront of Karin’s thoughts.


Karin, a seven-year member of The Blue Church, knew that her church had unused space in the basement. She approached her church with the medical exchange idea, a way to hands-on help others in the community. The Caring Hearts Lending Closet was born.


Saturday, February 17, 2024

Code of Ethics in Orthopedics

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The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has developed a code of ethics for orthopedic surgeons. The code of ethics includes the following principles:
  • Truth and honesty
  • Compassionate patient care
  • Respect for other health care professionals
  • Prioritizing the patient's best interests
  • Respecting and honoring patient rights
  • Compassion in caring for patient and family needs
  • Maintaining appropriate doctor-patient relationships
  • Beneficence 
The AAOS also has a vision for orthopedic leadership that includes the following principles:
  • Promoting an equitable and psychologically safe environment
  • Building trust-based relationships
  • Inviting opinions of team members in shared decision making
  • Engaging in constructive conversations and managing conflict 
The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) has guiding principles that include:
  • Listening
  • Continually reaching out to Diplomates and partners for feedback and insights
  • Believing that there is no place for bias or discrimination within the field of orthopaedic surgery 
Some other ethics in orthopedic practice include:
  • Gifts must have a market value under $100
  • No direct kick-backs can be given to a physician or hospital systems from an industry
  • Physicians cannot refer patients to centers in which they have a financial interest 
AOA Leadership Principles - American Orthopaedic Association
American Orthopaedic Association
Guiding Principles | ABOS - American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Ethics in Orthopaedic Practice - Basic Science - Orthobullets
May 3, 2023
Orthobullets
Code of Ethics and Professionalism for Orthopaedic Surgeons
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Professionalism | ABOS - American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Ethics and Professionalism - American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Ethical challenges in orthopedic surgery - PMC - NCBI
May 9, 2015
NCBI
What is the code of ethics for orthopedics?
What role will hospital ethics committees likely continue to play in the future?
AAOs expert witness affirmation statement

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