Preparing for High-Risk Patients | Psychiatry Physicians

Preparing for High-Risk Patients | Psychiatry Physicians

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One of the most challenging issues for physicians in most specialties is the treatment of high-risk patients. Although a majority of the cases you encounter won’t lead to poor outcomes, some do. Physicians need to be preparing for high-risk patients. The factors that lead to a high-risk case vary. But, we’ll discuss ways physicians can be ready for high-risk patient situations and how to provide the best outcomes possible.

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First off, preparing for high-risk patients means defining what exactly high-risk means. These are medical and surgical patients faced with an increased chance of poor outcome. According to a British study, high-risk surgical patients are a 12% minority who experience about 80% of preoperative deaths.

Certain medical situations present a greater medical risk than others. Here are some common examples:

  • High-risk pregnancies
  • Surgeries performed on elderly patients
  • High-risk cardiac patients

preparing for high-risk patients

Physicians and surgeons often times accept high-risk cases. It is expected that these patients will have poorer outcomes and higher mortalities. Doctors do the best they can, but sometimes limitations come with medication and treatment. These may fall completely outside of the doctors’ hands. Yet, sometimes, they may lead to feelings of blame and contempt. There may even be a fear of lawsuits or medical malpractice. This may put physicians themselves at risk for losing their jobs or even taking their own lives. However, there are ways to avoid this and prepare for the best. 


Preparing for High-Risk Patients

No single hazard defines all high-risk patients. But, the patients do fall into different groups: surgical and psychiatric. Now, we’ll examine these two groups.

Surgical or Medical High-Risk Patients

Preparing for high-risk patients in terms of someone’s physical health is not easy. This job is always the coordinated effort of many specialized professionals. There are some things you’ll need to know about the patient, in order to help treat the patient. For instance, here are some of the most common “high-risk” factors:

  • Age,
  • Previous or preexisting conditions,
  • Current medications,
  • The health of critical organs,
    • Heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, brain, and more.

preparing-for-high-risk-patients

Psychiatric High-Risk Patients

The next group is psychiatric high-risk patients. The good news is there is a large volume of literature on high-risk psychiatric patients. The bad news is they are often difficult to treat. With well-established risk factors for addiction, suicide, and developing psychosis, psychiatric doctors often have a lot to consider. They have to think differently from surgeons or general practice doctors.

Preparing for high-risk patients from the standpoint of psychiatrists often means that the outcomes may be poor. This is unfortunate, but it is reality. Unlike surgery correcting a health issue with a routine procedure, there is no real equivalent to this in psychiatry. Patients who are at risk of psychosis and suicide present a great deal of stress and professional difficulty for psychiatrists. It is something to think about if you are considering a career in psychiatry.

What Psychiatrists Can Consider:

So, this raises questions about career stress. What kinds of stress should be expected in routine psychiatric practices? What kinds of stress are avoidable?

Unfortunately, psychiatrists routinely work with patients experiencing serious mental health conditions. These include suicidal tendencies, chronic depression, and more. Psychiatry professionals use data to provide real health solutions to those in need. Though stressful, it can be very fulfilling and worthwhile. 

Even though it’s a tempting thought to take on patients who have a lower risk of bad outcomes, this isn’t exactly the way the medicine works. For psychiatrists to avoid suicidal patients is like surgeons who can’t stand the sight of blood — it just won’t work. Preparing for high-risk patients means making sure the proper insurances and liabilities are accounted for. It also means that the prescribed treatments are carried out to the best of your ability.

What experience do you have with preparing for high-risk patients? Let us know in the comments below!

Author: Locum Jobs Online

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