Physician

Definition

A physician is a licensed medical professional who diagnoses and treats illnesses, provides preventive care, and promotes overall health and wellness. Physicians play a crucial role in healthcare by making clinical decisions that impact patient care, including the creation of treatment plans and the issuance of medical orders, such as those found in Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST). Their expertise is essential in guiding patients and their families through complex medical choices.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Physicians are typically required to complete extensive education, including a medical degree and residency training, before they can practice medicine independently.
2. In the context of POLST, physicians must engage in discussions with patients about their values and preferences regarding life-sustaining treatments, ensuring that the orders reflect the patient's wishes.
3. Physicians can specialize in various fields, such as emergency medicine, pediatrics, or oncology, which influences the type of care they provide and their approach to patient treatment.
4. The orders documented in POLST are legally binding and must be honored by all healthcare providers involved in the patient's care.
5. Physicians play a critical role in educating patients about their options regarding end-of-life care, helping them navigate difficult choices and ensuring their preferences are respected.

Review Questions

• How do physicians ensure that POLST orders accurately reflect a patient's wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment?
  • Physicians ensure that POLST orders accurately reflect a patient's wishes by engaging in thorough conversations with patients about their values and preferences regarding end-of-life care. This dialogue helps to clarify what the patient wants concerning treatments like resuscitation or mechanical ventilation. The physician's role is not only to document these wishes but also to educate the patient on the implications of their choices, ensuring that the final POLST document aligns with the patient's desires.
• Discuss the relationship between informed consent and the role of physicians in creating POLST orders.
  • Informed consent is essential for physicians when creating POLST orders because it ensures that patients understand their treatment options and the consequences of those options. Physicians must provide comprehensive information about life-sustaining treatments and engage patients in discussions about their goals for care. By obtaining informed consent, physicians confirm that patients are not only aware of their choices but also empowered to make decisions that reflect their values, thereby making POLST an effective tool for honoring patient preferences.
• Evaluate the impact of physicians' decisions on patient outcomes related to end-of-life care as outlined in POLST.
  • Physicians' decisions significantly impact patient outcomes concerning end-of-life care as outlined in POLST. By actively discussing options with patients and accurately documenting their wishes, physicians help ensure that care aligns with patient preferences, potentially leading to more satisfactory experiences during this sensitive time. Moreover, when physicians respect and advocate for these documented wishes in clinical settings, it can reduce unnecessary interventions that may not contribute to quality of life, ultimately fostering a more compassionate approach to end-of-life care.

Related terms

POLST: An acronym for Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, POLST is a medical order that reflects a patient's preferences for end-of-life care, specifically regarding life-sustaining treatments.

Advance Directive: A legal document that outlines a person's preferences for medical treatment in case they become unable to communicate their wishes, often used in conjunction with POLST.

Informed Consent: The process by which a physician provides necessary information about treatment options to a patient, allowing them to make knowledgeable decisions about their care.