Question

47-year-old female comes to the ER at 10pm with complaints of shortness of breath and chest pain. She also brought dog, Tranquil. The patient reports Tranquil is a service dog, assisting her with long standing anxiety issues. No one is accompanying her – her neighbor dropped her off in the ER on the way to work. Because her EKG shows some questionable changes, physicians believe she should be admitted at least overnight. ER attempts to secure a private room to accommodate Tranquil. There are no private rooms available; in fact, there are 16 patients already on the wait list for a private room. Tranquil is a pit bull, has behaved well in the ED (no barking, snarling etc.). The Supervisor tells the patient Tranquil cannot stay with her and asks if there isn’t family or friend who can pick the dog up and take care of her until the patient is discharged. The patient insists there is no one and that the hospital must allow Tranquil, as her service dog, to stay with her. During this conversation, a semi private room is available and staffs are ready to admit the patient. The patient refuses; she threatens to leave AMA and immediately notify the press if the hospital does not accommodate her and Tranquil. The supervisor calls the AOC.

Which of the following is the AOC’s best response?

Advise the Supervisor to ask the patient for documentation that Tranquil has been appropriately trained as a service animal.

Advise the Supervisor that pit bulls are never allowed on hospital property.

Advise the Supervisor to notify the on-call Public Relations staff because patient is threatening to call the media.

Advise the Supervisor to assure the risks and benefits of leaving the hospital AMA are explained and documented.

Answer 1

ANSWER

Best response of AOC is,

                    * Advice the supervisor to notify the public relations staff because patient is threatening

                      to call the media.