OF HEALTH."

Dr.

RICH AND COMPANY DISCUSS HOW PATIENTS AND DOCTORS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO PREVENT MEDICAL MISUNDERSTANDING.

THEN WE VISIT THE NEW SIMULATION LAB AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, WHERE SPEECH PATHOLOGY STUDENTS ARE PRACTICING REAL WORLD MEDICAL SKILLS AND ON THE NEXT MEDICAL STUDENT MINUTE, ZURI WILLIAMS EXPLAINS SOMETIMES THE BEST CARE MEANS GIVING PATIENTS CONTROL OVER THEIR BODY.

THAT'S COMING UP ON "CYCLE OF HEALTH."

>> THIS PROGRAM IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MEMBERS OF WCNY.

THANK YOU.

>> CANCER, IT'S NOT JUST A DIAGNOSIS.

IT'S A COMPLEX OPPONENT, ONE THAT CAN ALTER THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE, EVERY MOVE, EVERY DECISION HOLDS TREMENDOUS WEIGHT.

ST.

JOSEPH'S HEALTH HAS PARTNERED WITH ROSWELL PARK, THE REGION'S ONLY DESIGNATED COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER TO OFFER YOU ACCESS TO PERSONALIZED THERAPIES AND LEADING LEADING ONCOLOGISTS RIGHT IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AMONG THE MANY MOVES YOU CAN MAKE, THIS ONE HOLDS THE POWER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE SEASON FINALE OF "CYCLE OF HEALTH."

I'M YOUR HOST Dr.

RICH RICH.

Dr.

RICH O'NEILL.

WELL, DEAR VIEWERS, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A FORMER MALPRACTICE ATTORNEY, A JOURNALIST, A PERSON WHO IS BLIND AND A PSYCHOLOGIST GO INTO A BAR?

OR RATHER ON TO A TV SHOW.

WE ARE ABOUT TO FIND OUT.

JOINING US TODAY ARE Mrs.

SUSAN GRAY, A PERSON WHO WENT BLIND DESPITE THE BEST EFFORTS OF DOCTORS.

AND ALSO THE BLIND SERVICES COORDINATOR AT AURORA OF CENTRAL NEW YORK.

Ms.

LAUREN BAVIS, A HEALTH REPORTER WHO TEACHES AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY'S NEWHOUSE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS.

AND Mr.

EDWARD MCARDLE, J.D., AN ATTORNEY WHO TEACHES BIO ETHICS AND HUMANITIES AT UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY.

WELL, PANELISTS, TWO THINGS ARE CERTAIN IN LIFE: TAXES AND BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN TO OUR BODIES.

AND WE'RE GOING TO DIE.

HOW CAN US PATIENTS AND DOCTORS WORK TOGETHER TO PREVENT MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND IMPROVE OUTCOMES?

>> AS PART OF MY BACKGROUND, I HAVE SEEN MEDICAL ERROR IN TERMS OF DEFENDING LAWSUITS AND ALSO AS A MEDICAL ETHICIST, AND I THOUGHT BRIEFLY I WOULD JUST SAY WHAT MEDICAL ERROR IS OR WHAT IS DEFINITION OF THAT.

MEDICAL ERROR IS HARM THAT OCCURS IN THE COURSE OF TREATMENT OF A PATIENT THAT IS PREVENTIBLE, OKAY?

SO WE ALSO HAVE SOMETHING CALLED KNOWN COMPLICATIONS OF TREATMENT OR THE ORBED LYING DISEASE PROCESS AND THAT IS NOT MEDICAL ERROR.

THAT IS NOT PREVENTIBLE.

FOR INSTANCE, LIKE IF YOU ARE GETTING CHEMO FOR CANCER, YOU HAVE SOME HARM AS PART OF THE TREATMENT... >> IT JUST GOES THAT WAY AND YOU EXPECT THAT.

>> YOU EXPECT THAT.

THAT'S A KNOWN COMPLICATION AND REASONABLE SIDE EFFECT.

BUT MEDICAL MALPRACTICE, IF YOU WANT ME TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THAT IS A LEGAL PROCESS BY WHICH PATIENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED MEDICAL ERROR CALLED NEGLIGENCE CAN SEEK MONETARY COMPENSATION FOR ANY HARM THAT THEY SUFFERED THAT WAS DUE TO THAT NEGLIGENCE OR MEDICAL ERROR.

AND A BIG DISTINCTION I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT IN MOST INSTANCES, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE A PHYSICAL , SIGNIFICANT PHYSICAL HARM OR LIMITATION IN ORDER TO BRING A MEDICAL MAL PRACTICE CASE.

THERE ARE CERTAIN STANDARDS IN COURTS THAT MAKE IT HARDER TO BRING THEM.

>> SO IF SOMETHING WENT WRONG, AN ERROR, AND THERE WAS A HARM FROM THAT, AND THEN IF THERE IS A HARM, THEN YOU MIGHT WANT TO BRING A LAWSUIT TO GET COMPENSATED?

>> YOU MIGHT.

AND WE CAN TALK FURTHER ABOUT THAT.

BUT THEY'RE LOOSELY CONNECTED BECAUSE IN MOST INSTANCES, MEDICAL ERROR DOES NOT LEAD TO A LAWSUIT.

>> I CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE AT 19 I WAS MISDIAGNOSED WITH PREMATURE MACULAR DEGENERATION TOWN DOWN IN TEXAS.

>> MISDIAGNOSED.

>> AND IT TURNED OUT NOT TO BE A CORRECT DIAGNOSIS AND WHAT CAME AFTER THAT WAS TWO OTHER DIAGNOSIS, ONE A YEAR LATER AND ONE RECENTLY ABOUT A YEAR AGO.

SO BUT I ALWAYS... >> YOU FINALLY GOT DIAGNOSED CORRECTLY.

>> YES.

>> AND THIS IS A LONG TIME IT STARTED.

>> AND I NEVER FELT LIKE, IN MY QUAYS ANY HARM WAS DONE.

>> THAT WORD HARM, ED BROAD BROUGHT IT UP AND THE WAY YOU HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.

HARM MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

AND IT SOUNDS LIKE PART OF WHAT THE ISSUE IS WHEN THERE IS, YOU KNOW, A MEDICAL ERROR OR MISDIAGNOSIS, IS COMMUNICATION.

EITHER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PHYSICIAN AND THE PATIENT OR THE PATIENT AND THE PHYSICIAN AND IF IT FEELS LIKE THE PATIENT, YOU KNOW, ISN'T UNDERSTANDING THEIR DIAGNOSIS, THAT CAN FEEL LIKE HARM.

OR IF A PHYSICIAN FEELS LIKE THEY'RE NOT BEING HEARD, WHICH THEY MIGHT NOT BE BEING HEARD BECAUSE OF THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY'RE USING, THE MORE MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC LANGUAGE DURING THE DIAGNOSIS.

THERE IS FRUSTRATION ON BOTH SIDES.

FOLKS ARE NOT UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER.

>> THERE IS A MUSE UNDERSTANDING LEADS TO FRUSTRATION FROM THE MISUNDERSTANDING AND ED, I BELIEVE YOU TRAIN STUDENTS NOW TO, HOW TO COMMUNICATE.

>> WE DO.

AND AS PART OF WHAT I UNDERSTAND WITH SUSAN'S EXPERIENCE.

SHE WAS SIMPLY TOLD AND LEFT BASICALLY-- BASICALLY TOLD AND THEN THERE WASN'T ANY FURTHER FOLLOWUP WITH THE PHYSICIAN.

>> IS THAT RIGHT, SUSAN?

>> YES.

>> YOU WENT IN THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE.

>> WHAT DID THEY SAY?

>> I WOOS 19.

LIVING AWAY FROM HOME AND WOKE UP AND COULDN'T SEE THE LIGHT FIXTURE.

I WBT WENT TO THE OPHTHALMOLOGIST AND HE SAID NOT CAN'T WE FIX IT, IT IS A PROGRESSIVE EYE DISEASE THAT IS GOING TO MOVE OVER TO YOUR OTHER EYE AND EVENTUALLY BLIND YOU.

>> 19.

>> 19.

AND I HAD JUST BOUGHT MY FIRST NEW CAR.

A 77 CAMARO AND I WENT INTO THE PARKING LOT OF THE OPHTHALMOLOGIST OFFICE AND JUST TRIED.

>> YIKES.

>> WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT WAS VERY FORTUNATE AND-- WAS VERY UNFORTUNATE AND GRANTED THIS WAS A FEW DECADES AGO, ANY WE TEACH MEDICAL STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS TO BE SUPPORTIVE, HAVE RESPECT FOR THEIR PATIENTS, TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE DIFFICULT TIMES FOR THE PATIENT.

; TO BE THERE TO INFORM THEM ABOUT THE DISEASE PROCESS OR ABOUT TREATMENT OPTIONS.

AND TO BE SUPPORTIVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S A CRUSHING DIAGNOSIS LIKE WHAT YOU EXPERIENCED THERE.

TODAY WE REALLY TRY TO DO A SHARED DECISION MAKING PROCESS WHERE IT'S A CONVERSATION WITH THE PATIENT, WHERE THE PATIENT CAN EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS.

>> AND THE DOCTOR CAN BE THERE WITH THEM AND LAUREN, YOU ARE NODDING ALONG.

>> I TEACH AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY.

JOURNALISM STUDENTS NORMALLY BUT I ALSO WORK WITH A PROGRAM TO TEACH MEDICAL STUDENTS TO WRITE AND KIND OF THINK MORE LIKE JOURNALISTS.

THE WORDS THAT I USE IN MY CLASSROOM WITH THE INTRODUCTORY STUDENTS ALL THE TIME ARE WAITING IN A WAY THAT IS CLEAR, CONCISE AND CONVERSATIONAL.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO GIVING NEWS TO A PATIENT, AND I WORK WITH THEM IN WHAT THEY DO, WRITING PLAIN LANGUAGE ARTICLES ABOUT ISSUES THEY SEE IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY PRACTICE.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING.

THEY SHOULD BE WRITING LIKE HOW THEY TALK TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY BECAUSE IF YOU ARE EXPLAINING REALLY COMPLICATED MEDICAL INFORMATION IN A CLINICAL SETTING IN A WAY THAT YOUR PATIENT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO PROCESS THE DIAGNOSIS.

THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO TAKE AND MOVE INTO THE WORLD AND FOLLOW THE ADVICE THAT MAYBE THEY SHOULD AND THAT'S WHERE, LIKE YOU SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW, BAD OUTCOMES CAN HAPPEN.

>> IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT IT'S A COMMUNICATION PROCESS ON BOTH SIDES, RATHER THAN MAKING A GOD LIKE PRONOUNCEMENT, YOU WANT TO REALLY HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THOSE, WHAT IS GOING ON, MAYBE IT'S REALLY A BAD BEGS DIAGNOSIS AND YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THE PERSON EMOTIONALLY, NOT ONLY GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION, BUT CONNECT WITH THEM EMOTIONALLY AND NOT LEAVE THEM ALONE.

YOU ARE NODDING AGAIN, LAUREN.

>> YEAH, AND I MEAN AT THE SAME TIME AS DOCTORS SHOULD WRITE MORE LIKE JOURNALISTS, PATIENTS CAN ACT MORE LIKE JOURNALISTS.

THEY CAN COME WITH A LIST OF QUESTIONS.

THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, NOT BE WILLING TO KEEP-- OR BE WILLING TO KEEP THEIR DOCTOR IN THE ROOM, NOT GIVE UP UNTIL THEY ANSWER AND GET AN ANSWER THAT THEY NEED.

BUT THAT, I MEAN, TO YOUR EXPERIENCE, SUSAN, IS SO DIFFICULT WHEN YOU ARE GETTING BAD NEWS, MAYBE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

AND I MEAN AS A JOURNALIST, THAT'S OFTEN WHY PATIENTS I THINK END UP SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS RATHER THAN DOCTORS BECAUSE THEY'RE FOLKS WHO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE ACTUALLY LISTENING AND MAYBE SHARING THEIR STORY IN A WAY THAT FEELS MORE MEANINGFUL.

>> IF I COULD ADD ONE THING TO ABOUT SUSAN'S EXPERIENCE.

SHE SAID YOU WEREN'T HARMED BY IT.

IS THAT CORRECT?

>> CORRECT.

>> BUT BY THE WAY WE WOULD LOOK AT THAT TODAY, AS MEDICAL ETHICS, YOU WERE HARMED.

YOU WERE EMOTIONALLY HARMED.

YOU SUFFERED A DIGNITY HARM.

AND WHAT I WOULD SAY THAT THAT IS AN ETHICALLY CONCERNING REAL HARM.

UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT A HARM THAT OUR MEDICAL MALPRACTICE SYSTEM WOULD COMPENSATE, WHICH GENERALLY IT WILL REQUIRE A SIGNIFICANT AND PERMANENT PHYSICAL INJURY OR LIMITATION.

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S ANY LESS OF A HARM.

>> TOO BAD, SUSAN, YOU COULD HAVE SUED IF HE SAID... GOTTEN SOME BIG BUCKS.

LISTEN, OUR "CYCLE OF HEALTH" TEAM VISITED THE NEW MEDICAL SIMULATION LAB AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY WHERE SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY STUDENTS GET A CHANCE TO PRACTICE REAL WORLD I'M JUST HERE TODAY BECAUSE I HEARD THAT YOU HAVE SOME WEAKNESS ON YOUR LEFT SIDE.

SO I WANTED TO LOOK AT HOW YOUR MOUTH AND TONGUE ARE WORKING, ALL THOSE THINGS BECAUSE THAT WEAKNESS MAY BE TRANSLATED TO THERE.

>> WE REALLY HAD TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND LOOK AT THE DATA TO DETERMINE WHAT OUR STUDENTS NEEDED AND WHAT THE LEARNING GAPS WERE IN THEIR TRAINING.

MODERN MEDICINE REALLY KIND OF REQUIRES THAT WE ARE CREATING CLIB I GOESES-- CLINICIANS WHO HAVE THE SKILLS AND THE KNOWLEDGE TO FUNCTION IN THESE FAST-PACED HIGH ENERGY ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THERE IS A LOT GOING O. THAT TRAINING NOW CAN START ON CAMPUS BEFORE WE SEND THEM OFF.

>> IT HAS BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE TO LEARN ABOUT THE ACUTE CARE SETTING IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.

WE WERE REALLY PUSHED TO BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT AND COMPLETE LONGER SIMULATIONS.

IT WAS SCARY AT FIRST BUT THAT'S WHY I SEEN SO MUCH GROWTH IN MY CONFIDENCE.

I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU DIFFERENT FOODS.

I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU WATER.

GET MORE INFO ABOUT YOUR CHEWING AND SWALLOWING, OKAY?

>> COMMUNICATION IS HUGE.

THEY NEED TO TAKE WHAT THEY LEARNED IN CLASS ABOUT NORMAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY AND TRANSLATE IT INTO PATIENT FRIENDLY LANGUAGE.

I'VE TRAINED THE STANDARDIZED PATIENTS, IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY EXPLAIN TO YOU, PLEASE LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU DID NOT UNDERSTAND SO THE STUDENTS GET THAT FEEDBACK THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT QUITE RIGHT IN THEIR TRANSLATION TO THE PATIENT.

THOSE COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWNS HAVE A HUGE IMPACT.

YOUR PATIENT NEEDS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT HEALTHCARE AND IF THEY ARE NOT ON THE SAME PAGE, IF THEY'RE NOT UNDERSTANDING YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, YOUR RATIONALE, YOUR REASONING.

THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO FALL THROUGH AND THAT'S WHEN MISTAKES ARE MADE.

THAT'S WHEN PATIENTS MIGHT MAKE DECISIONS THAT AREN'T FULLY INFORMED WITH THE RISKS AND BENEFITS.

SO THAT COMMUNICATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

SO THIS IS OUR SIMULATION LAB SPACE.

WHEN WE WERE DESIGNING IT, WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE IT AS HIGH FIDELITY AS POSSIBLE, MEANING IT SHOULD LOOK, FEEL, SOUND AS CLOSE TO A HOSPITAL ROOM AS WE CAN MAKE IT IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.

WE HAVE A FULLY FUNCTIONING HOSPITAL BED.

WE HAVE A PATIENT BED SIDE CHAIR SO STUDENTS CAN WORK ON TRANSFERRING THEIR PATIENT FROM THE BED TO THE CHAIR.

THIS IS CALLED A HEAD WALL.

AND WE ARE ABLE TO SIMULATE SUCTIONING, SIMULATE OXYGEN DELIVERY.

WE HAVE A SIMULATED CALL BELL.

SO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WOULD SEE IN A HOSPITAL ROOM, THEY'RE ABLE TO SEE HERE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.

WE HAVE A VITALS MONITOR UP HERE WHERE WE CAN RUN SIMULATED VITAL SIGNS THAT I CAN CONTROL AS A FACILITATOR REMOTELY SO THEIR PATIENT CAN IMPROVE OR DECLINE AS THEY'RE WORKING WITH THEM.

>> DURING OUR CLINICAL SWALLOW EVALUATION SIMULATION, LEAST IN MY SIMULATION, HER VITALS TANKED AND THE BEEPING GOT FASTER AND FASTER.

AND THAT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE GOING TO GET EXPERIENCE ONE LESS YOU ARE WORKING WITH A REAL CLIENT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.

>> I JUST FEEL LIKE HERE I WAS ABLE TO PRACTICE IT WITHOUT A PATIENT WHICH MADE ME FEEL BETTER BECAUSE IF I MESSED UP, THEN IT'S OKAY BECAUSE I'M NOT HARMING SOMEBODY.

I THINK IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO PRACTICE IT WITH MY PROFESSOR AND THE ACTRESS RATHER THAN HAVING A REAL CLIENT THERE AT THAT MOMENT.

>> STICK YOUR TONGUE OUT STRAIGHT.

TRY NOT TO LET ME PUSH IT.

OKAY?

GOOD.

Y OTHER SIDE.

STICK YOUR TONGUE OUT STRAIGHT.

TRY NOT TO LET ME PUSH IT.

OKAY, GREAT.

[LAUGHTER] >> I MESSED UP A FEW TIMES IN THE SIMULATION LAB.

I NEVER FELT BAD ABOUT MYSELF.

IT'S A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY AND IT'S A LEARNING MOMENT.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE THOSE MISTAKES.

>> IF YOU DO MAKE A MISTAKE, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY DO IT.

SO IT WAS NICE TO, YOU KNOW, FEEL LIKE, OKAY, MAYBE I DIDN'T SAY THAT EXACTLY HOW I WANTED TO THAT TIME OR MAYBE MY DIRECTIONS WERE AS PATIENT FRIENDLY BUT THAT STICKS IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND AND YOU KNOW MOVING FORWARD HEY THAT'S SOMETHING I WANT TO WORK ON.

BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE NECESSARILY FIGURED THAT OUT WITHOUT HAVING THE SAFE EXPERIENCE IN SIMULATION.

>> ALSO JUST HAVING OUR SUPERVISOR RIGHT THERE AND KNOWING THAT, HEY, I CAN TRY SOMETHING AND I CAN TRUST MY CLINICAL JUDGMENT, KNOWING THAT I HAVE, YOU KNOW, A SAFE SPACE, I HAVE MY SUPERVISOR HERE TO JUMP IN AND GIVE ME FEEDBACK.

BUT IT ALSO STRENGTHENS THAT CONFIDENCE THAT WE WANT TO BUILD IN OURSELVES BEFORE WE GO OUT IN THE FIELD AND WE HAVE THOSE DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE.

>> SIMULATION IS NEWER TO CSD COMMUNICATION SCIENCES DISORDERS.

IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN MEDICINE AND NURSING FOR A LOT LONGER.

IT HAS BEEN REALLY WELL ESTABLISHED AS AN INCREDIBLY FUNCTIONAL AND POWERFUL TOOL FOR TRAINING.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE THIS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY GROUNDED IN LEARNING THEORY AND PEDAGOGY THAT THIS IS BENEFICIAL TO OUR STUDENTS SO I LOVE THAT IT IS NOW OFFERED HERE.

>> ACKNOWLEDGING MISTAKES AS A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER.

A GOOD IDEA?

WHAT DO YOU THINK, TEAM?

I CAN START ON THAT.

>> PLEASE.

>> AGAIN AS A MEDICAL ETHICIST, I HAVE BEEN IN TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS.

AS MEDICAL MALPRACTICE-- >> YOU WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE, RIGHT?

>> I DEFENDED DOCTORS AS WELL AS-- ALTHOUGH I DEFENDED OTHER FOLKS AS WELL IS PART OF THE PRACTICE THAT I HAD.

BUT I WOULD SAY THAT ON THAT SIDE, IT WAS RARE TO SEE SOMEONE APOLOGIZE.

AND ON THE ETHICS SIDE, WE ARE TRYING TO, AS PART OF PROGRESS, TO GET PHYSICIANS AND HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS TO ACKNOWLEDGE ERROR BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO AS PART OF TRUTH TELLING WITH PATIENTS AS PART OF TRANSPARENCY.

AS PART OF PROMOTING TRUST WITH THE PATIENT, THAT THESE SHOULD BE DISCLOSED SO THEY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND WE CAN ALSO SAY THERE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN SOME STUDIES ON THIS AND THERE WAS A STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN A DOZEN YEARSING WHAT THEY WENT TO A FULL DISCLOSURE POLICY ON LAWSUIT, MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAWSUITS OR ON MEDICAL ERRORS, I SHOULD SAY.

AND WHAT THEY FOUND IS THAT THERE WAS A 50% DROP IN MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAWSUITS.

SO BY FULLY DISCLOSING AND BEING TRANSPARENT, WHEN ERRORS OCCURRED, THERE WAS 50% ENDED UP LEADING TO 50% FEWER LAWSUITS THAN DOCTORS.

>> THAT'S AMAZING.

IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE BEING TREATED LIKE A HUMAN BEING AND A MISTAKE IS BEING ACKNOWLEDGED WHERE THE HARM TO YOU IS BEING ACKNOWLEDGED, YOU ARE LESS LIKELY TO SUE SOMEBODY-- IT FEELS LIKE YOUR PARTNER IN THIS.

WOULD YOU SAY THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE SHARED FROM THE OUTSET; THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF A BAD OUTCOME IS THERE?

AND WE, RATHER THAN MAKING BELIEVE THIS IS CERTAIN YOU ARE GOING TO GET BETTER,... >> I THINK YOU SHOULD ALWAYS, AS PART OF THE SURE DECISION MAKING PROCESS, WHEN YOU SPEAK WITH A PATIENT, AND INFORM THEM, RIGHT?

INFORMED CONSENT.

THEY SHOULD KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.

>> LET ME GET SUSAN'S TAKE ON THIS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, SUSAN?

>> YES, I THINK TWO THINGS.

WE NEED TO BE OUR OWN ADVOCATES BUT AS LAUREN MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE AN ADVOCATE MAYBE IN THE ROOM WITH US.

OF COURSE I WENT IN NOT EXPECTING A BAD DIAGNOSIS, BUT IF YOU ARE SUSPECTING THAT, I REALLY THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE WISE.

TO HAVE THAT SUPPORT.

>> AND THEN TO TALK OVER THE POSSIBILITIES OF BAD OUTCOMES IF YOU HAVE A TREATMENT THAT GOES AWRY OR JUST DOESN'T GO THE WAY WE HOPE.

I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE THAT MYSELF IF I WENT INTO A PHYSICIAN AND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT SOMETHING AND THERE WAS REALLY NO CERTAINTY ABOUT HOW IT WOULD GO.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT FROM THE OUTSET SO I COULD MAKE A PLAN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE, GIVEN WHATEVER WAY IT MIGHT GO.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS.

YOU ARE SAYING, SUSAN, THAT IT WOULD BE A VERY GOOD IDEA TO BRING AN ADVOCATE WITH YOU TO, INTO THE ROOM.

I KNOW WHEN I GO TO THE DOCTOR AND THEY TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH ME, I CAN BARELY REMEMBER WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY OFTEN TIMES.

AND I WRITE THINGS DOWN SOMETIMES BEFORE I GO IN.

I WANT TO REMEMBER BECAUSE I CAN'T REMEMBER THEM.

YOU ARE NODDING AND LAUREN, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> I THINK HAVING, LIKE I MENTIONED, A GOOD LIST OF QUESTIONS, BEING WILLING TO BE RESPECTFUL BUT ALSO CHALLENGE-- I MEAN WE KNOW THAT DOCTORS DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO SPEND WITH PATIENTS AS WELL.

MORE AND MORE RESEARCH COMES OUT ON THE SMALL AMOUNT OF FACE TO FACETIME YOU GET WITH YOUR DOCTOR IN THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE SO NOT FEELING AFRAID TO SAY I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT, CAN YOU EXPLAIN IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY OR EVEN SAY, I'M STILL PROCESSING THIS.

CAN WE GET ANOTHER APPOINTMENT AFTER I FULLY COME UP WITH MAYBE THE QUESTIONS I HAVE OR ASK FOR AN ADVOCATE TO BE WITH ME.

CAN WE MEET AND TALK AGAIN, YEAH.

>> YOU TRAIN FUTURE DOCTORS AT SOME POINT.

>> I TALK TO THEM ABOUT-- THEY ARE OUR FUTURE DOCTORS, BUT WHAT IT MEANS TO COMMUNICATE IN A MORE CONVERSATIONAL WAY.

>> HOW DO DO YOU THAT?

>> IT'S REALLY VERY FUN.

WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT-- IT'S THE SAME SORT OF TRAINING I DO CAN JOURNALISM STUDENTS ABOUT HOW TO WRITE LESS ACADEMICALLY AND MORE LIKE WRITING YOU WOULD READ ON YOUR PHONE, A WEBSITE OR NEWSPAPER.

>> EVERYDAY LANGUAGE.

>> PLAIN LANGUAGE WHAT IS WE CALL IT, TOO.

AND I THINK WHAT HAS BEEN REALLY EXCITING IS TO SEE HOW EXCITED THAT THESE YOUNG FUTURE DOCTORS IN TRAINING ARE TO COMMUNICATE THAT WAY WITH THEIR PATIENTS.

AND THEY TELL ME AFTER THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO WRITE THIS WAY, YOU KNOW, OFTEN IT'S FRUSTRATING FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT PERFECT AT IT, YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATELY AND NEITHER ARE JOURNALISM STUDENTS BUT NECESSITY SAY THAT THEY CAN SEE TAKING THOSE SKILLS INTO CLINICAL SETTINGS AND SPEAKING WITH THEIR PATIENTS MORE IN A WAY THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT MIGHT THEN MITIGATE SOME OF THE ISSUES, LIKE YOU HAD SUSAN IF YOU ARE A YOUNG PATIENT, A PATIENT WHO IS SURPRISED BY A DIAGNOSIS, ANY OF THOSE SORTS OF CONCERNS THAT CAN LEAD TO FRUSTRATION, CAN LEAD TO THE FEELING THAT YOU WERE HARMED.

>> ONE THING I COULD ADD THERE, RICH IS THAT I WAY TO FULLY COMMUNICATE IN IN A QUICK WAY WITH A PATIENT IS FIND OUT WHERE THEY'RE AT IN TERMS OF THEIR BELIEVING OF THEIR ILLNESS.

SO ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU KNOW SO FAR?

AND IF, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CORRECT WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY DIDN'T GET RIGHT AND YOU CAN AFFIRM THOSE THINGS THAT THEY DID AND MOVE FROM THERE.

SO IT HELPS TO GET MORE WORK DONE IN A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT THAN OTHERWISE.

>> SO THE DOCTOR CAN ACTUALLY SAY TO THE PATIENT, WHAT ARE YOU AND UNDERSTANDING FROM WHAT I'M SAYING.

DID I GET THIS RIGHT.

>> YES.

>> I'M LEARNING ALREADY.

ANY LAST WORDS?

WE JUST HAVE ABOUT TWO MINUTES, I THINK, BEFORE WE CLOSE THE SHOW.

WE GO TO THE OTHER PART OF IT.

ANY LAST WORDS, SUSAN.

YOU ARE NODDING.

>> I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PEER SUPPORT.

WHEN YOU ARE GRIEVING THE LOSS OF YOUR VISION OR ANY MEDICAL CONDITION, IT CAN BE SO HELPFUL TO PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THAT LOSS.

SO PLEASE SEEK THAT OUT.

>> AND YOU TILLEY RUN-- YOU ACTUALLY RUN SOME SUPPORT GROUPS.

I.

>> I DO TWO SUPPORT GROUPS FOR AURORA CENTRAL NEW YORK.

ONE IS VIRTUAL AND ONE IS IN PERSON.

AND WE HAVE TWO OTHERS IN THE COUNTY.

WE ASK PEOPLE TO REACH OUT IF YOUR LOVED ONE IS STRUGGLING WITH VISION LOSS.

THANK YOU.

>> YOU ARE WELCOME.

AND YOU SHARED WITH ME THE OTHER DAY, YOU CALLED PIECE THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND.

>> YES.

KIND OF TONGUE IN CHEEK, BUT YES, WE HAVE A VERY GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR IN OUR GROUP.

>> BEFORE WE WRAP OUR SHOW TODAY, IT'S TIME FOR OUR MEDICAL STUDENT MINUTE.

THIS WEEK Ms.

ZURI WILLIAMS EXPLAINS THAT SOMETIMES THE BEST CARE MEANS GIVING PATIENT CONTROL OVER THEIR OWN BODY.

IMAGINE THAT.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

>> HI EVERYONE.

I'M ZURI WILLIAMS WITH ONE OF THE MOST SURPRISING THINGS THAT I HAVE LEARNED IN MEDICAL SCHOOL.

IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, PATIENTS CAN PERFORM THEIR OWN SWABS TO DETECT-FOR-SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS.

RESEARCH SHOWS THEY'RE AS ACCURATE AS A CLINICIAN.

ANOTHER SURPRISE, A PELL VISION EXAM IS NOT ALWAYS NEEDED FOR STI TESTING UNLESS THERE ARE RED FLAG SYMPTOMS OF ABDOMINAL PAIN OR PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE.

THIS MATTERS BECAUSE PELVIC EXAMS CAN BE UNCOMFORTABLE AND WHEN DONE BY UNFAMILIAR E.D.

STAFF, STRESSFUL.

PATIENTS COLLECTING THEIR OWN SWABS IS A SIMPLE WAY TO MAKE THE EXPERIENCE MORE RESPECTFUL.

IT REDUCES EXAMS AND IS A TRAUMA INFORMED APPROACH WHILE STILL GIVING US THE INFO WE NEED FOR GOOD, SAFE TREATMENT.

SO, YEAH, SOMETIMES THE BEST CARE MEANS GIVING A PERSON MORE CONTROL OVER THEIR OWN BODY.

I'M ZURI WILLIAMS WITH MY MEDICAL STUDENT MINUTE.

>> THAT'S ABOUT ALL THE TIME WE HAVE.

I WANT TO THANK OUR GUESTS SUSAN GRAY, BLIND SERVICES COORDINATOR AT AURORA OF CENTRAL NEW YORK, LAUREN BAVIS, PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE AT S.U.

'S NEWHOUSE SCHOOL.

AND ED MCARDLE, J.D.

WHO TEACHES BIO ETHICS AND HUMANITIES AT UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY.

TO HEAR OUR COMPANION COMMUNITY FM RADIO SHOW CHECKUP FROM THE NECKUP, VISIT.

IF YOU WANT TO REVISIT THIS EPISODE, VISIT WCNY.ORG "CYCLE OF HEALTH" OR MY WEBSITE Dr.

NECKUP.ORG.

I'M Dr.

PSYCHOLOGIST Dr.

RICH O'NEILL AND PLEASE WRITE US ABOUT THE SHOWS YOU WANT TO SEE.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT SEASON.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪