As the red and blue emergency lights emanated from our ambulance during a cold January night, I began to think about the possible medical emergencies (chest pain) that I might encounter upon our arrival. Whether it was an asthma exacerbation, aortic dissection, or costochondritis, I needed to think and prepare for every possibility. However, my thoughts were soon interrupted by my partner, who turned off the sirens and picked up the radio. “Dispatch, this is Rescue three. On scene.” “Copy, Rescue Three. On scene.” Arriving at a dilapidated house with pieces of misshapen ,metal scattered in the front yard, my partner and I walked directly to an indoor living room littered with opened prescription bottles, and encountered an emaciated
…show more content…
Since the ambulance station already acted as a community center for the townspeople, it was an outlet for employment and educational opportunities. However, we still encouraged them to go to the hospital if they felt they needed to go. And when the emergencies did arise, we still utilized the skills achieved through training to stabilize and transport the patient to the Emergency Room. Several months later, the same patient began to adopt healthy habits, discontinue her dependence on drugs, and have access to a primary care …show more content…
Physicians (in both inpatient and outpatient settings) need to have these long-term visions and short-term goals. Whether it was ensuring that people know the socioeconomic resources available to them, addressing their illnesses, or educating them to recognize unhealthy habits, it needs to come with the understanding of the person and the community, to understand the patient’s needs and the available community resources. It also comes down to identifying ways to better communicate with the various members of the community. There needs to be an end to stigmas and stereotypes that keep individuals from accessing or utilizing available healthcare resources. Social stigmas, due to deviations in person traits, keep individuals from accessing healthcare and receiving optimal patient care. Despite their deviations from social norms, patients’ concerns should not be viewed as those with ulterior motives, and, as future physicians, there needs to be a consideration of other alternatives to the patient’s presentation. All of this is important to promote health and enhance patient
Since the ambulance station already acted as a community center for the townspeople, it was an outlet for employment and educational opportunities. However, we still encouraged them to go to the hospital if they felt they needed to go. And when the emergencies did arise, we still utilized the skills achieved through training to stabilize and transport the patient to the Emergency Room. Several months later, the same patient began to adopt healthy habits, discontinue her dependence on drugs, and have access to a primary care …show more content…
Physicians (in both inpatient and outpatient settings) need to have these long-term visions and short-term goals. Whether it was ensuring that people know the socioeconomic resources available to them, addressing their illnesses, or educating them to recognize unhealthy habits, it needs to come with the understanding of the person and the community, to understand the patient’s needs and the available community resources. It also comes down to identifying ways to better communicate with the various members of the community. There needs to be an end to stigmas and stereotypes that keep individuals from accessing or utilizing available healthcare resources. Social stigmas, due to deviations in person traits, keep individuals from accessing healthcare and receiving optimal patient care. Despite their deviations from social norms, patients’ concerns should not be viewed as those with ulterior motives, and, as future physicians, there needs to be a consideration of other alternatives to the patient’s presentation. All of this is important to promote health and enhance patient