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Assessment of the Awake but Unresponsive Patient
Jeff C. Huffman1, Theodore A. Stern
1Dr. Huffman is Chief Resident at MGH and a Clinical Fellow in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Stern is Chief of the Psychiatric Consultation Service at MGH and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
Summary
This study highlights the importance of integrating medical and psychiatric knowledge for inpatients with co-occurring conditions. Case discussions from Massachusetts General Hospital offer practical insights for clinicians at the medicine-psychiatry interface.
Area of Science:
- Medical and Psychiatric Disciplines
- Clinical Case Studies
Background:
- The Psychiatric Consultation Service at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) manages inpatients with complex medical and psychiatric comorbidities.
- Effective care necessitates a deep integration of medical and psychiatric expertise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To share lessons learned from managing inpatients with comorbid psychiatric conditions.
- To provide practical guidance for clinicians working at the interface of medicine and psychiatry.
Main Methods:
- Regular case discussions during thrice-weekly rounds involving Dr. Huffman and Dr. Stern.
- Compiling insights from these discussions into accessible rounds reports.
Main Results:
- Identification of key challenges and effective strategies in diagnosing and managing comorbid conditions.
- Development of a resource for clinicians based on real-world case examples.
Conclusions:
- Clinical rounds integrating medical and psychiatric perspectives yield valuable learning opportunities.
- Rounds reports can serve as a crucial resource for improving care at the medicine-psychiatry interface.