Patient-Sonographer Interaction Flashcards
Sonographer Obligations
Physically and Mentally
adequate rest, practice good nutrition, engage in physical exercise to promote physical and mental health
recognize stress and anxiety that might interfere with job performance, leave personal or family problems at home and work problems at work
Develop a good self image
view problems as challenges or opportunities, rather than stumbling blocks
this makes it easier to accept criticism as a learning opportunity and not as defeat
a good self image creates a sense of pride in his or her work and eagerness to start each day
patient rights
a sonographer is responsible for the type of care given to patients
The Patient Care Partnership: Understanding Expectations, Rights, and Responsibilities
In 2004, AHA replaced the Patient’s Bill of Rights with this plain language brochure
This brochure informs patients what to expect during their hospital stay with regard to their rights and responsibilities
patient rights:
high quality hospital care, a clean safe environment, involvement in their care, protection of their privacy, help when leaving the hospital, help with their billing claims
HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability and Acountability Act
became effective April 14, 2003
this ruling marked the first comprehensive federal protection for the privacy of health info
HIPAA does the following:
gives patients more control over their health info
sets boundaries on the use and release of their health records
establishes appropriate safeguards that health care providers must achieve to protect the privacy of health info
holds violators accountable with civil and criminal penalties that can be imposed
strike a balance when public responsibility requires disclosure of some forms of data (protects public health)
enables patients to find out how their info was made used and what disclosure of their info was made
limits the release of info to the minimum reasonably needed for the purpose of the disclosure
gives patients the right to examine and obtain a copy of their own health records and to request corrections
what must the sonographer do?
put patient info away after hours
take files out of sight of any lingering staff and custodians
set screensavers on computers for the shortest time possible
remove patient identification from any scan that will be used for publication or presentation
keep any patient charts filed with the names facing the wall to ensure that passerby or visitors to the ultrasound suites cannot see the names or any info on the charts
patient environment
it is the sonographer’s duty to keep the exam room and equipment clean and organized
provide a warm blanket or extra sponges, pillows, etc. to make your patient comfortable
there should be proper ventilation and comfortable temperature, safe furnishings, and a private area for disrobing, and storing personal articles
remember to ask, Is there anything else I can do for you?
scripting
emotinal surroundings
the sonographer must treat the patient as an individual
patient privacy should be respected at all times, especially during dressing and undressing, during the ultrasound exam, and during the use of bathroom facilities
If patients require assistance at any of these, the sonographer should provide it in a mature and completely professional manner
It is important to introduce yourself and explain the procedure you will be doing
patients should be allowed to freely express their thoughts, opinions, or beliefs
The sonographer must be a good listener and not impose his/her beliefs on the patient
Patients response to illness
since we spend so much time with our patients during scanning, we may see changes that occur due to disease and disability
they include the following:
anger, anxiety, frustration and hellplessness, grief, guilt, depression, dependency, and suspicion
anger
towards others may be expressed verbally or physically
anxiety
feelings of apprehension may cause patients to be unwilling to adjust to their new situation and cry, fear being left alone, hostile, or withdrawn
anxiety can also cause physical changes such as rapid pulse, increased blood pressure and respiration. headaches, nervousness, excessive perspiration, or rapid speech
frustration and helplessness
the longer it takes to diagnose and treat the illness, the more frustrated the patient can become
in American society, men are more vulnerable to this feeling
grief
the process of adjusting to a loss
may be the loss of health, or a pregnancy
shock, denial, anger, bargaining, guilt, and depression are some common feelings
guilt
particularly with the loss of a pregnancy, a woman tends to examine every part of her life to discover where she was at fault
may go through withdrawal, blame, fault finding, or physical complaints
may feel their illness was caused due to something they did or did not do as a punishment
