Multidisciplinary Rounds

Every day in the medical ICU, I attend multidisciplinary rounds where I review my list of patients with a group of nurses, therapists, case managers, social workers, dieticians, and other health care practitioners. While sometimes it feels like a chore, it's really an incredibly important reflection of how patients get better. Although physicians would like to assume that it is our astute diagnoses, elaborate treatment plans, and active interventions that cure patients, my time in the ICU suggests otherwise. A patient certainly won't get better if the medical team isn't making the right decisions, but that is insufficient to treat a patient. I may make a brilliant rare diagnosis and start the perfect medication, but that won't get most patients out of the ICU. To recover, all of the hard work is done by the patient herself, and most of that in conjunction with the nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist, dietician, and respiratory therapist. After being an ICU fellow for half a year, I find the sight of a patient walking around the unit the best measure of how someone's doing. I would much rather see a good session of physical therapy than an improving white blood cell count or creatinine or fever curve. As a result, I really take the time at these multidisciplinary rounds to advocate for my patients. Intensive care medicine is a team effort, and I want to recognize all those other practitioners who help my patients get better.