The Benefits of Team Meetings

Hi guys, this is a development from my last post. My patient is a 57 year old man with a L hemiplegia. I was worried about his emotional state when he wasn’t progressing well in physio. I spoke to his Physio and she said that he did take things in and felt upset but did not express this publicly. Hence I resolved to not tell his family about negative aspects in front of him and to stress the positive side when speaking to them.

Every two weeks there is a team meeting for each patient and involves the specialist, his various interns, residents etc, the Physio, OT, nurse and social worker. Every person gives a run down on how the patient has progressed in their area of expertise. A lot was said about the patient’s family dynamics.

His wife had a lengthy appointment with the social worker. The wife told her that her husband was an absolute gentleman prior to the stroke but was now quite mean to her. She said he was always very nice to everyone at the hospital but once out of the hospital he became quite nasty towards her. She also felt he didn’t appreciate the effect his stroke had on her and how it had changed her life. Other people present at the meeting had spoken to the patient who had no real understanding of the impact his stroke was having and would have on his wife in the future.

I was quite surprised when this was brought up as I had never even thought that he might be a different person outside of treatment. It was absolutely valuable information and I only wish it had come earlier in my treatment of this patient. One thing I have gained from this is the importance of effective communication between health professionals in hospitals. If there was no team meeting the patient and his wife would continue to be treated as they were. However following the discussion at the meeting people will take into account the information discussed and act accordingly.

The second thing I have learnt is the importance of treating not just the patient but also the family when needed. The big concern is that there is only so much this patient’s wife will be able to take before something snaps. The worst thing for this patient’s outcome would be if his wife left him, became depressed or had a mental breakdown. All 3 of these are very realistic outcomes if things continue as they are.

Sorry this is a bit long, hope everyone’s prac went well.
Anna