Tag: Emergency medical services

EOLPodcast

Ep. 413 Death in the E.R. and the Failures of Modern Medicine with Drew Remignanti MD

kwyattmd

Learn about current issues in healthcare that are impacting the quality of care received at the end of life.

My guest Dr. Drew Remignanti is an emergency medicine physician who has lived with chronic illness since being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of 19. He suffered a major stroke at the age of 38 that sidetracked his career for five years but inspired him to write the book The Healing Connection: A Partnership for Your Health, which explores how dollar-driven motives wield too much influence over our medical decisions, including at the end of life. To learn more about the book follow Dr. Remignanti on Facebook:

Follow on Facebook

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What happens when people show up at the ER without an advance directive
  • Why the default emergency care is “do everything”
  • What is “slow medicine” and how are current forces in the healthcare system working against it
  • Why patients and providers need to work together to make the changes we need
  • When people know and trust their physician they are far more likely to create an advance care plan for their health and follow it
  • Studies show it takes only 40 seconds of compassion in a medical encounter to make a significant difference
  • The “commoditization” of healthcare and the problems it causes
  • The US has an 88% rate of healthcare illiteracy, meaning people do not know how to acquire or apply information about their health

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest donor Carole Heaney! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 203 Do Not Resuscitate: Changing the Culture Around the DNR Order with Frances Myers

kwyattmd

Learn how one woman managed to change resuscitation protocols for emergency responders to decrease the incidence of unwanted CPR.

PodcastMyers

My guest Fran Myers is a healthcare consultant and the founder of the Center for Advance Care Planning. She will share how she investigated protocols for CPR that guide EMS first responders and discovered that they didn’t align with the statutes of the state of Colorado. Her success in changing the protocols is a story that will hopefully inspire people in other  states to take up the same work to ensure that patients receive the care they want at the end of life. Read more about Fran’s work at her website:

http://centerforadvancecareplanning.org

Myersadvance_care_packet_400x223

Learn about the Advance Directives Portfolio here.

Listen here.

 

This interview includes:

  • What the public misperceives about CPR and where that mistaken idea comes from
  • Many people still receive unwanted CPR at the time of death in hospitals and nursing homes
  • Why paperwork is often disregarded by first responders in the field during a medical crisis
  • How EMS protocols foster the provision of CPR as a default treatment regardless of the wishes of patients and family members
  • How Fran went about getting the protocols changed in Colorado to allow first responders to withhold CPR when appropriate
  • Advice for people in other states who want to change the protocols in their area
  • How to access the Advance Directive Portfolio for your state of residence

We never say much as we frantically try to save the life we know we can’t save or perhaps silently hope we don’t save. When it’s finally over and the last heart beat blips across the screen and we survey the clutter of bloody gloves, wrappers, masks and needles that now litter the room, you may catch a glimpse as we bow our heads in shame, fearful perhaps that someday we may have to stand in front of God as he looks down upon us and says, “what in the hell were you thinking?”  – Dr. Louis Profeta – Emergency Room Physician

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on Patreon.com/eolu – your contributions mean everything to me!