Anyone who has ever been through the medical system – even with the very best of treatment – will identify with this film. “The Doctor” tells the story of an aloof, self-centered heart surgeon who treats his patients like names on a list. In comparison with the film to the Six Principals of Care, the characteristics of the healthcare professionals lack the importance of these six principals which is dignity, independence, safety, communication, infection control, and privacy. Here are some examples that I gathered from the film that should have been handled a better way. A client is waiting to see the doctor for a routine check-up.
As the doctor walked in to the examining room, he said hello, avoids eye contact with the client, and immediately took off the client’s gown without communicating the procedure to her. He continued to examine her numbingly and then said “You’re ok”. The client was speechless, and she accepted the doctor’s un-quality of care. There were two principals that the doctor did not provide to the client during her examination; which is dignity and communication. When the doctor walked in the examining room, he must communicate the procedure by explaining that he will be removing her gown, and there will be some therapeutic therapy of her body.
By communicating this information with the client, she will feel safe, secure, and unviolated because the doctor is informing or asking for her consent. At the end of the examination the doctor should try to make the client comfortable, ask how she is doing with her current condition, and also ask if there are any concerns or questions he can answer. Another example was that the doctor and his wife were out for a nice evening together. He, and like any doctors out there gets a phone call from a client unexpectedly. The client is in need of her doctor’s advice.
As he picked up the call he immediately put the caller on speaker phone, where the doctor’s wife can hear everything about the client’s sensitive private information. The doctor and his wife were laughing silently together as the client continued to discuss her medical health concerns. This act is a privacy issue, where the doctor did not treat the situation in a confidential matter. Also he is not to disclose any information with anyone other than health professionals treating the client at the same time. The doctor should have informed the client that he would need to call her back as he locate a private area to discuss, and listen to her concerns.
Third example: the hospital made a mix up with another client who is due for a colostomy. The colostomy procedure was given to the wrong client. The mix up could have been prevented if the technician double check the client’s wrist band with the physician’s order and if he was unsure about the order, confirm with the physician immediately to get clarification before proceeding to next step In conclusion, health care professionals should always follow the Six Principals of Care when caring for clients. Clients need to be respected, and given dignity, independence, safety, communication, infection control, and privacy.