There's a right way and a wrong way to do everything.
You may have been doing this for years. But Dan may be experiencing things for the first time This lighthearted video shows a right way and a wrong way to explain a patient visit.
You may have been doing this for years. But Dan may be experiencing things for the first time And, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do everything.
Sandra: Hello, Allina Health. How can I help you?
Making the appointment
Sandra: Okay Dan, I found your record.
Dan: Great, I want to make an appointment for a pre-surgery physical.
Sandra: And when is your surgery scheduled?
Dan: Three weeks from today.
Sandra: Okay, I see that your primary doctor is Dr. Jacobs and I’ve scheduled you to see him Tuesday at 1.
Dan: Do you have anything later? I was hoping to avoid taking time off of work.
Sandra: Well the latest I have is 3:00. Do you want it?
Making the appointment
Sandra: Okay, Dan, I’m looking at your record and I can see that you have an upcoming surgery.
Dan: Yes, I want to make an appointment for a pre-surgery physical.
Sandra: Will you please confirm the date of your surgery?
Dan: Three weeks from today.
Sandra: Thanks Dan. Now I can see that you usually see Dr. Jacobs. Would you like to see him again for this visit?
Dan: Yes please.
Sandra: Great. Now I’m looking at Dr. Jacobs schedule and he has several openings this Tuesday that might work for your pre-op. Is that a good day for you Dan?
Dan: I can make that work.
Sandra: How does 3:00 sound?
Dan: That works, thanks.
Sandra: You’re welcome and thank you for calling Allina Health. Is there anything else I can do for you today Dan?
Dan: No thanks. That’s all. That was very thorough.
Sandra: Oh well we try. You have a great afternoon.
Arriving and checking in
Dan: Hi, I’m Dan Gardner. I’m here to see Dr. Jacobs.
Betty: Okay. Here is, are your labels and your routing slip, have a seat.
Dan: Oh okay, I’ll be over there confused.
Arriving and Checking In
Betty: Good afternoon, how can I help you?
Dan: Hi, I’m Dan Gardner. I’m here to see Dr. Jacobs.
Betty: Okay, let’s see here. Oh yep, we have been expecting you Dan. Looks like you have an appointment at 3:00 today. Here are your labels and your routing slip. We use the labels just to make sure your name is on any materials or specimens and that routing slip is there to remind us why you’re in for your visit today. And you can just give those to the person that’s going to take you into the exam room. If you just have a seat, right over there, closet to Dr. Jacobs’ exam room, someone should be in with you shortly.
Dan: All right.
Betty: Okay.
Dan: Thanks again.
Betty: Yep.
Clinical assistant
Michelle: Okay, if you could uncross your legs and roll up your sleeve.
Dan: Okay.
Michelle: Okay. Hmm.
Dan: Is everything okay?
Michelle: Dr. Jacobs will be in, in just a moment. You can save your questions for him.
Dan: Oh okay, bye.
Clinical assistant
Michelle: Hi Dan. I’m Michelle. I’m a clinical assistant here and I’ll be working with you today. How are you doing?
Dan: I’m a little nervous about my upcoming surgery.
Michelle: Understandable. Surgery worries most of us. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to take your blood pressure and your pulse and your temperature right now.
Dan: Sure.
Michelle: Great. Okay and before we get started, if you’d please just uncross your legs and roll up your sleeves. Uncrossing your legs just helps us to get a more accurate blood pressure reading with both feet on the floor evenly. And if you would please open up your mouth and hold this thermometer underneath your tongue. We’ll get a quick temperature reading. There we go. Great, your temperature today is 98.6.
Dan: Oh that’s good right?
Michelle: Yeah, it is. Great. Okay, your blood pressure today is 117 over 74 and your pulse is 76, both are just great.
Dan: That’s good news right? Michelle: Yeah, it is and I have updated your record with the current information, so Dr. Jacobs can review it. I’ll let him know that you are ready to see him and I hope that your surgery and recovery go great.
Dan: Me too.
Michelle: Okay.
Clinician visit
Dr. Jacobs: All right Dan, a pre-op examination is important to make sure that you’re healthy. Now all right, I am palpating your neck right now, to evaluate your lymphatic system.
Dan: Okay.
Dr. Jacobs: All right and I’m also going to check your thyroid, if you could swallow for me. All right. All right. Done with that. I’m going to assess your lungs and heart if you could pull up your shirt in the back.
Dan: Okay.
Dr. Jacobs: Okay Dan, that is it for me. We’re going to have some lab work done with you and then make sure that you schedule your colonoscopy with a care coordinator before you leave today?
Dan: So am I well enough for surgery?
Dr. Jacobs: Sure, I’ll make sure that your surgeon gets a full report. Who is your surgeon by the way?
Dan: Dr. Wilson.
Dr. Jacobs: Okay, all right. Bye.
Dan: Well wait I, I have other questions.
Clinician visit
Dr. Jacobs: Okay Dan, a preoperative physical is important, so that both you and your surgeon know that you’re healthy enough for the surgery. All right? Now today, I am going to examine you and then I’m going to ask you to have some blood work done and since Michelle told me that you’re overdue for your next colonoscopy, I’m going to ask that you go ahead and schedule that today, since you’re here already. And given your family’s early history of colon cancer it’s important to stay current with these screening tests. Okay?
Dan: Sounds good, thanks for reminding me.
Dr. Jacobs: You’re welcome. Now I’m going to start by feeling your neck, to check for swollen lymph nodes. They’re a part of your body’s system to fight infection and to make antibodies. No pain? No discomfort?
Dan: No.
Dr. Jacobs: All right, now I’m going to check your thyroid. Thyroid regulates your metabolism and sometimes the thyroid enlarges when it’s not working well enough to keep up with what the body needs and if you could, you could swallow for me. All right. Good. I don’t detect any swelling or tenderness in your neck. Now next, I am going to percuss your lungs with my fingers, to check and see if there’s any fluid present and to do that, I’m going to need you to pull your shirt up in the back for me a little bit. Okay? All right. That’s good. We’ll start by percussing here. All right. Then I’m going to listen to your heart and lungs to assess them, make sure that there’s no congestion, make sure the bowels are functioning properly and also just to make sure that they rhythm is normal. All right Dan, your heart is beating regularly and I’m not hearing any wheezing or abnormal sounds in your lungs.
Dan: Well that’s good to know, I did have pneumonia last year.
Dr. Jacobs: Yeah, I remember that, but there’s no sign of that now and based on everything that we’ve seen here today, I predict that you’ll be fine for your surgery.
Dan: Oh that’s good I guess.
Dr. Jacobs: It is good, but I sense that you’re a little bit nervous.
Dan: I am. I mean wouldn’t you be?
Dr. Jacobs: Honestly, yes I, I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t be nervous thinking about a surgery, but you are in excellent health and Dr. Wilson is an excellent surgeon. I’ll make sure that he gets the results of all of today’s examinations and you can review them too, when we put them up on MyChart.
Dan: Oh I, I’ve looked at MyChart before. I like it.
Dr. Jacobs: I’m glad that you use it. All right, I would like you to stay here if you could for me and Steven, the lab tech will come up to take you down for the test, but before I go, what questions do you have for me?
Dan: Ahh nothing, nothing I guess. Thank you. Thank you. Good to see you.
Dr. Jacobs: It’s good to see you too and I wish you a speedy recovery all right?
Dan: Thanks.
Dr. Jacobs: Take care Dan.
Lab visit
Steven: State your name and date of birth please.
Dan: Dan Gardner, May 1st, 1979.
Steven: Okay.
Dan: What are you doing?
Steven: I’m drawing blood.
Dan: What for?
Steven: Your doctor ordered it. All right, that’s it. Follow me.
Dan: Okay.
Lab visit
Steven: Hi Dan. My name is Steven. I’m going to get some blood from you today.
Dan: All right, I don’t really like needles.
Steven: Oh no problem, it’s pretty common for people not to be big fans of needles. Would you like to lie down?
Dan: Oh no, that’s okay.
Steven: Okay, well I’m also happy to explain each step, as we go along. Would that be helpful?
Dan: Sure.
Steven: Okay, great. Well first thing here, close the curtain. Here we are. Okay Dan, would you please spell your last name for me?
Dan: G-a-r-d-n-e-r.
Steven: And what is your birthday?
Dan: May 1st, 1979.
Steven: All right, well we just like to make sure we have the right person. So I’m going to do a CBC and a lipid panel. Have you had anything to eat today?
Dan: No.
Steven: Okay, great and do you have a preference, as far as which of your arms that I take the blood from?
Dan: My right please, I, I write with my left hand.
Steven: You got it. You got it. The first thing I’m going to do here is I’m going to tie a tourniquet and that will help the vein pop out. There we go. Already got a nice one happening. All right. Next step, this is alcohol just to clean the area. And then you’re just going to feel a little poke. There we go. There we go. Doing okay?
Dan: Yep.
Steven: Okay, great and just a little longer, there we go. That’s it.
Dan: Wow, I didn’t feel a thing.
Steven: All right, that’s it Dan. I hope that wasn’t too uncomfortable.
Dan: No, it wasn’t too bad. You’re really good at this.
Steven: Thanks Dan. Your results will be on MyChart later this afternoon and I noticed on your routing slip that Dr. Jacobs wants you to see Brenda before you leave. She’s our care coordinator and before I take you over to Brenda’s desk do you have any questions?
Dan: None that I can think of.
Steven: Okay, great. I’ll show you the way to Brenda’s desk. Right this way.
Dan: All right.
Care coordinator
Brenda: I see you’re overdue for your colonoscopy.
Dan: If you say so.
Brenda: I made an appointment for three weeks from today in St. Paul. So you’re welcome.
Dan: Is there anything closer to my house?
Brenda: Oh, nobody said you had a preference on where it is. This is the first available appointment. Do you want me to change it?
Dan: Can you?
Brenda: Ahh sure, it would have been nice if Dr. Jacobs had noted that.
Care coordinator
Brenda: Hi Dan. Dr. Jacobs would like us to schedule your colonoscopy. You’re overdue.
Dan: I know.
Brenda: I see you live in Woodbury. Would you like me to schedule your exam there?
Dan: That would be great.
Brenda: Okay. Do you have a day or date preference?
Dan: Well I’d like to put it out for three or four weeks, while I recover from surgery, but after that Wednesdays are typically good for me.
Brenda: Okay, I’m sure that we can find something that’ll work for you.
Dan: Great.
Brenda: Dan, you’ve had your physical exam and your lab work. We’ve scheduled your colonoscopy and you have all of your instructions. So that’s all that Dr. Jacobs wanted you to do today.
Dan: Great, I’m ready to get home and get some dinner.
Brenda: Sounds good Dan. All of your reports will be in your record by tomorrow. You can check your results on MyChart. Now what questions do you have before you go?
Dan: No questions, on to food.
Brenda: Okay, well I hope your surgery goes well and you have a quick recovery.
Dan: Thank you.
Sometimes, a little explanation makes a big difference… Put yourself in the patient’s shoes, and make sure they understand what’s happening… They’ll thank you for it.