Why is not telling a patient about all self-care products

Reference no: EM133386998

Assignment:

Your patient, Ms. Karen Jones, is a healthy, nonsmoking 30-year-old. Her only medication is birth control pills of 5 years' duration, and a daily multivitamin. She has been coming in for regular maintenance every 6 months. She brushes two times per day and flosses when she remembers, perhaps once a week and she states she finds the procedure difficult. The exam shows some 4 mm probing depths and significant bleeding. As you have done several times in the past, you show the patient how to use the manual brush and floss and really "lay it on the line" about improving oral health and warn her she will need to come in more frequently if her habits do not improve. The patient states that "she tries" and is visibly upset when she leaves office. While you hate to see her upset, you hope she finally got the message.

About a month after her visit, you get a message that Karen Jones would like vou to call her. When you reach Karen, she tells you that she just heard on a national newscast that "flossing has no proven medical benefits." Karen reports she read more about it on the internet, and talked to a relative who is also a dental hygienist. She has learned about automatic toothbrushes, interdental brushes, and oral irrigators, and how they could help her.

In fact, she has purchased one of everything, and feels her mouth is improving. Not only that, the oral irrigating device makes the task so much easier. And she loves the convenience of those tiny brushes after lunch when she is at work. "Why didn't you tell me about this!" she demands. "I am unhappy, and going to have my records transferred elsewhere!"

1. What are some of the reasons the dental hygienist may have for not telling Karen about these products?

2. Ethically, is not telling a patient about all self-care products that have evidence to support their use the same as not telling a patient about all available professional treatment options? Why or why not?

3. What steps could the dental hygienist take to improve her knowledge on self-care products?

Reference no: EM133386998

Questions Cloud

What the holy spirit originally intended in the passage : why do we need to study hermeneutics and develop exegetical skills? How can one be reasonably sure his/her interpretation is what the Holy Spirit originally

What feelings come to me when i read the passage : What feelings come to me when I read the passage? How might God be challenging me? What is the next step I need to take?

Explain why childhood obesity is such a problem in america : An explanation of Current and feature skills and research trends within healthcare industry that influence practice standards in regard to childhood obesity.

Why should we study religion descriptively or scientifically : Why should we study religion descriptively or scientifically? Do you agree "descriptive" or "scientific" study of religion. According to them

Why is not telling a patient about all self-care products : Ethically, is not telling a patient about all self-care products that have evidence to support their use the same as not telling a patient.

How globalization and media embedded in your life : How globalization and media embedded in your life, just as they are in Lule's son's life (2). Give a couple of specific examples!

How would you define healthcare quality : How would you define healthcare quality? Describe how quality/patient experience can be be affected through the integration of the Institute of Medicine's six d

Identify examples of quantitative and qualitative data : Identify examples of quantitative and qualitative data in the article. How might these forms of data have been collected? Why is quantitative data useful here?

Elaborate on why clinical information systems : Elaborate on why clinical information systems, laboratory information systems, and pharmacy information system are necessary

User Account

All Pages