Dr Gregory Brammer
Cardiac Resuscitation
Dr. Gregory Brammer — Reasons For Increases in Workplace Violence in Emergency Departments6/16/2016
Dr. Gregory Brammer notes that one of the main problems that emergency medical personnel have to deal with when responding to situations is the recent increases in workplace violence in recent years. Statistics from the American College of Emergency Physicians suggest that more than three quarters of emergency medical personnel experience incidents of violence at least once a year, with the majority of these coming from patients or their visitors. They have highlighted the following as reasons for these increases in violent behavior.
The increased presence of gang-activity, particularly in inner-city areas, has given rise to a distrusting culture in some areas of the United States, particularly towards emergency medical personnel. The increased prevalence of both drug and alcohol abuse has led to some patients acting in ways they might not otherwise have done when dealing with emergency medical personnel. The failure of some community medical health systems, which has led to increased demands on the time and resources of emergency centers that are less able to cope, resulting in some patients expressing their frustrations through violence. Prolonged waits for medical care, often caused by the previously-mentioned increases in demand, lead to patient anxiety. This is often compounded by the issue of unpleasant waiting room environments. Dr. Gregory Brammer understands that violence against emergency medical personnel is becoming an increasingly serious issue and he is keen to help those who may have experienced such incidents in any way that he can. The team at BrammerMD can provide legal advice and information to help professionals handle such situations. Source — http://newsroom.acep.org/fact_sheets?item=30010 In his work with BrammerMD, which was founded in August 2015, Dr. Gregory Brammer provides physician-led medical legal consultation. Furthermore, he has worked as a Physician Consultant for a number of patient advocate independent law firms during his career. As such, he is acutely aware of many of the medico-legal issues that junior doctors regularly face, which include all of the following.
Obtaining Consent Junior doctors should never feel as though they are being pressured to do anything that they believe is beyond their scope of experience or current levels of confidence. Trying to gain consent for procedures that do not fall into your range of expertise falls into this category, as you will be unable to provide all of the information that patients require before being able to provide consent. Ask more experienced colleagues to do this if you feel uncomfortable. Understand Confidentiality Patients must be able to trust that their doctors will keep personal information confidential, so it is crucial that junior physicians understand the responsibilities that come with having access to such sensitive details. You have both legal and ethical duties to keep this information confidential, unless patients consent to disclosure or it is required by law. Prescriptions Dr. Gregory Brammer recognizes that many patient complaints and issues arise from poor prescribing methodology, so it is crucial that junior doctors pay special attention to any prescriptions they make. Pay particular attention to dosages, while also taking patient allergies and existing medications into account. It is also crucial that you maintain strong knowledge on the legislation and protocols surrounding the drugs you prescribe. |