Are there guidelines or instruments available to help plastic surgeons with the psychological assessment of patients?
Dr. McGuire: It’s something that you learn during residency while watching your mentors evaluate patients. When you evaluate a patient, it’s not just the physical examination; it’s also an assessment of patients’ emotional and mental health and stability. Plus, the consultation is a 2-way street: The patient assesses the surgeon to determine whether the surgeon is competent, caring, and appropriate for them, and the surgeon assesses the patient for appropriateness for the surgery. Medscape: If one surgeon decides that a teenager is not appropriate for surgery, can’t that patient just keep shopping around until she finds a surgeon that will do the job? Dr. McGuire: Absolutely. When you have a patient who isn’t appropriate for surgery you don’t say, “Get out of here, you’re nuts,” or “You’re not appropriate.” Surgeons are obliged to do an educational session with that patient to explain why this is either not the right time or they’re not a good candidate. It’s a matter of educating the
Related Questions
- TREATMENT ASSESSMENT -On the basis of medical/pharmacological factors, what guidelines might help physicians decide to recommend Buprenorphine as opposed to other opiate agonist alternatives?
- How can an Ophthalmologist or Ocular Plastic Surgeon help the Ocularist give their patients the best prosthetic possible?
- Can A Minimal Psychological Intervention Help Chronically Ill Elderly Patients?
