Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Leave judgment behind, lest our care be hindered

Chiduzie Madubata, MD
Physician
December 19, 2016
77 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

For any health care professional, a typical day in the hospital brings about its unique challenges. Depending on the patients that we see, one second the situation can be routine, and the next second, it can become complex. In the midst of this flux, there is an expectation for us to make important decisions, with the speed of these decisions dependent on how a patient is doing at a given time. We are called to make judgments based on the medical information we have at a given moment, and the hope is that the judgment we make leads to clinical improvement now and ultimately in the future as patients continue to recover.

In the process of making these judgments, many times we are made aware of the patient’s social situation. People of various walks of life are brought through the hospital doors, either on their own power or with the help of someone else, and when they come across our path, we become a part of their experience, and they become a part of ours. In our care for them, we learn about the good, the bad, and the ugly about their life situations in a way that will hopefully allow us to care for them adequately.

In that process of revelation, however, we may hear something about their lives that can cause us to rethink how we care for them in terms of potential therapeutic options that are offered to them. We hear about their social situation and sometimes it causes us to question whether they would be able to adhere to a particular medication regimen, or whether they would be able to make follow-up appointments once they are discharged. Their situation may cause us to start to make judgments, but in a different, and potentially negative way.

Sometimes, the stakes of an intervention are high enough that trying to predict the future actions of a patient is necessary to prevent an option that may be harmful to them without adequate following of instructions after their discharge. There are other times, however, where preconceived notions of certain patients could cause us to not have an optimistic look on how the patient will do after their hospitalization.

This is particularly noticeable when we deal with patients who may not have seen a doctor in a while, or other patients who may come to the hospital with the same complaint frequently in the hopes of seeking a particular treatment despite a negative workup. If their social situation is unstable, it may cause us to think that they may not be as likely to be adherent to a certain treatment or to follow-up with a physician compared to other people from a more stable social background. In these assumptions, there is a potential danger of our own preconceived notions affecting our view and subsequent care of certain patients. It is this type of judgment that we need to be aware of and to be wary of, so that the decisions we make regarding our patients are based mainly on what we are seeing from a medical standpoint as opposed to a social standpoint.

Earlier, I mentioned that judgment is a part of our job as health care professionals as we take care of patients. If we look at it deeper, there are two types of judgment that can be at play. One type of judgment is based on the medical information we have at our fingertips at a given moment, and the other type is based on certain assumptions we may make about other patients that help us to predict their future actions once they leave the hospital. However, it is the second type of judgment we need to keep an eye on and potentially leave behind, so that any potential biases on our part with regards to particular social situations will have a limited role in our medical decision making. At the end of the day, our patients depend on us making good clinical decisions based on the judgments we make. Let us continue to use the type of judgment that helps to enhance our care, and in the process leave behind the type of judgment that can hinder our care.

Chiduzie Madubata is a cardiology fellow.  

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

We didn't save his life. We did better than that.

December 19, 2016 Kevin 2
…
Next

How medical training is like dogfighting

December 20, 2016 Kevin 8
…

Tagged as: Hospital-Based Medicine

Post navigation

< Previous Post
We didn't save his life. We did better than that.
Next Post >
How medical training is like dogfighting

More by Chiduzie Madubata, MD

  • The coronavirus cost that no one can count

    Chiduzie Madubata, MD
  • A physician sees end-of-life care through a religious lens

    Chiduzie Madubata, MD
  • Veterans deserve our full attention

    Chiduzie Madubata, MD

Related Posts

  • Why health care replaced physician care

    Michael Weiss, MD
  • How social media can help or hurt your health care career

    Health eCareers
  • More physician responsibility for patient care

    Michael R. McGuire
  • Health care needs more physician CEOs

    Alexi Nazem, MD
  • Denying payment for emergency care: a physician defends insurers

    Michael Kirsch, MD
  • The health care system will cause its own physician shortage

    Advait Suvarnakar and Aashka Suvarnakar

More in Physician

  • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

    Zahid Awan, MD
  • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • 7 ways to beat burnout: a guide for health care professionals to reduce stress and reclaim their passion

    Marie Livesey, DO
  • Heartwarming stories of cancer patients teaching us about life and the human spirit

    Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH
  • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

    Jeffrey A. Singer, MD
  • The meaning of death in medicine: the role of compassionate care in end-of-life patient care

    Ton La, Jr., MD, JD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Nose-brain connection: The surprising link between allergies and mental health revealed

      Kara Wada, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Urgent innovation needed to address growing mental health crisis among children and families

      Monika Roots, MD | Conditions
    • The importance of listening in health care: a mother’s journey advocating for children with chronic Lyme disease

      Cheryl Lazarus | Conditions
    • Medical errors and the power of apologies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

      Zahid Awan, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 7 ways to beat burnout: a guide for health care professionals to reduce stress and reclaim their passion

      Marie Livesey, DO | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Missing Doctor's Gunshot Wound; COVID Funds Reshuffled; Helpline Chatbot Shut Down
  • Second RSV Vaccine Lands Approval for Older Adults
  • Long COVID Cognitive, Depressive Symptoms Tied to Brain Inflammation Marker
  • 'Practice Changing' Trial on Activity Recs After Prolapse Surgery
  • What's With the Buzz Around NAD+ Injections?

Meeting Coverage

  • Tenapanor Improves Abdominal Symptoms in Patients With IBS-C
  • Benefits Found for Hand OA Drug Treatments
  • MRI-Based Screening May Detect Prostate Cancer Earlier
  • New Model Aims to Study Intestinal Fibrosis in Crohn's Disease
  • Hypertension Tied to Worse Survival After Surgery for Upper Tract Urothelial Cancers
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Nose-brain connection: The surprising link between allergies and mental health revealed

      Kara Wada, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Urgent innovation needed to address growing mental health crisis among children and families

      Monika Roots, MD | Conditions
    • The importance of listening in health care: a mother’s journey advocating for children with chronic Lyme disease

      Cheryl Lazarus | Conditions
    • Medical errors and the power of apologies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

      Zahid Awan, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 7 ways to beat burnout: a guide for health care professionals to reduce stress and reclaim their passion

      Marie Livesey, DO | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave judgment behind, lest our care be hindered
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...