Much of the mystery that often surrounds the physician/patient relationship was discarded as we sat side by side. I was able to reconcile medications on the computer with the patient watching and helping make sure that no errors were made. Errors might have been prevented since I no longer had to write down the medications on a piece of paper, carry it down the hall, and enter it on to a computer. It certainly saved me time, enabled the correct list to be entered, and could have provided the patient some confidence that it was done right.
My view of the hospital bed is no longer at the foot, standing up, with weighted pockets. It’s seated, in a chair, at the bedside. I hope to soon master the art of maximizing the benefit of my time with the patient with technology more as a collaborative tool and less as an obstacle.
Melissa L.P. Mattison, MD, SFHM, FACP,
associate director of hospital medicine,
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston