Question

Jeanette, an 80-year-old widow, called her physician early one morning complaining of shortness of breath. She...

Jeanette, an 80-year-old widow, called her physician early one morning complaining of shortness of breath. She spoke to the office receptionist who asked if she was having any other difficulty. Jeanette said no. The receptionist said she would give the message to the doctor.

The doctor’s office was extremely busy that October day giving out flu shots. The receptionist immediately became busy answering telephone calls and admitting a long line of patients waiting for their annual flu shot. The telephone message from Jeanette was left unnoticed on the front office desk for several hours and was then placed on the physician’s desk with other messages.

Jeanette became so exhausted from her shortness of breath that she fell asleep. When she awoke in the afternoon she could not catch her breath. She called her neighbor and just said, “Help.” Paramedics arrived at Jeanette’s home shortly after the neighbor called 911 and found Jeanette to be unresponsive. She was taken to the local emergency room where she was diagnosed and treated for pneumonia and congestive heart failure. The emergency room staff tried to determine who her personal physician was, but Jeanette had no personal belongings or medical information with her. She never regained consciousness and died that evening.

When her neighbor went over to Jeanette’s home that evening to feed the cat, the noticed the light on the phone’s answering machine. The doctor had returned Jeanette’s call at 5:00pm. She apologized for not calling sooner

1. In your opinion is anyone at fault for Jeanette’s death?   

2. What could have been done to prevent this problem?  

1 0
Add a comment Improve this question Transcribed image text
Answer #1

1. In the above given situation, I believe the receptionist was at fault as shortness of breath is an emergency condition where one needs an immediate action , the message should have been conveyed soon and as priority.

2. The message could have been delivered soon to the physician.

  • Jeanette should have asked for help from neighbours or any relative to take her to the nearest healthcare facility after she felt shortness of breathe.
Add a comment
Know the answer?
Add Answer to:
Jeanette, an 80-year-old widow, called her physician early one morning complaining of shortness of breath. She...
Your Answer:

Post as a guest

Your Name:

What's your source?

Earn Coins

Coins can be redeemed for fabulous gifts.

Not the answer you're looking for? Ask your own homework help question. Our experts will answer your question WITHIN MINUTES for Free.
Similar Homework Help Questions
  • Jeanette, an 80-year-old widow, called her physician early one morning complaining of shortness of breath. She...

    Jeanette, an 80-year-old widow, called her physician early one morning complaining of shortness of breath. She spoke to the office receptionist who asked if she was having any other difficulty. Jeanette said no. The receptionist said she would give the message to the doctor. The doctor’s office was extremely busy that October day giving out flu shots. The receptionist immediately became busy answering telephone calls and admitting a long line of patients waiting for their annual flu shot. The telephone...

  • The case is that of a 35 year old white, single, female who was found on her bed stuporous and moaning by her father and...

    The case is that of a 35 year old white, single, female who was found on her bed stuporous and moaning by her father and mother with whom she lives. There was a note in the room written by her explaining that she had carefully considered her life and what was happening to her and that she wanted to die. There was evidence in the bathroom that she had most likely taken three bottles of different pills including barbiturates. The...

  • Ms. Joan Grant Case Ms. Joan Grant was a 45-year old attorney in private practice. She...

    Ms. Joan Grant Case Ms. Joan Grant was a 45-year old attorney in private practice. She was enrolled in the Good-Health health maintenance organization (HMO) through her law firm’s self-insured employee benefit plan. Generally she had been in good health, got plenty of exercise, and ate oat bran for breakfast every morning. On the evening of April 15, 1996, while she was rushing to finish her tax return, she developed a splitting headache. She decided that she would have to...

  • A Routine Endoscopic Procedure Our mother usually had an endoscopic procedure every 2 years. We thought...

    A Routine Endoscopic Procedure Our mother usually had an endoscopic procedure every 2 years. We thought that she had too many visits with her gastroenterologist. She saw the gastroenterologist about every 30 or 60 days. When we asked the physician why our mother had to come in on a continuous basis, his response was “acid reflux.” She was taking a proton pump inhibitor for her acid reflux. Our mother had an endoscopy of her upper gastrointestinal tract in September 2006....

  • Christine Allison and her husband, Troy, were watching television in their Columbus, Ohio, home last July...

    Christine Allison and her husband, Troy, were watching television in their Columbus, Ohio, home last July when his breathing became erratic. She dialed paramedics and fetched her husband a paper bag to calm him while they waited. "I'll see you in a minute," she said in those frantic moments when the ambulance arrived. "I'm on my way." About three hours later, Troy Allison would be dead at the age of 44. What happened at Mount Carmel West hospital in that...

  • Use the answer sheet provided for the project to identify which (if any) of the events...

    Use the answer sheet provided for the project to identify which (if any) of the events or sitautions described happened in each cases. Use our report template to create a report for the medical staff review committee. Under conclusion discuss one process change that can be implemented to reduce risk exposure and provide at least two ways in which change can be managed smoothly when implementing the new process.   Presume you are a data analyst in the hospital health information...

ADVERTISEMENT
Free Homework Help App
Download From Google Play
Scan Your Homework
to Get Instant Free Answers
Need Online Homework Help?
Ask a Question
Get Answers For Free
Most questions answered within 3 hours.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT