The Podcast by KevinMD: A fine line between DNR and denied treatment for the elderly

A fine line between DNR and denied treatment for the elderly

Mar 8, 2023

In this episode, we welcome Alan Lindemann, an obstetrics-gynecology physician, to discuss the issue of autonomy and treatment for elderly patients. He shares his experiences in the long-term care setting, and the disturbing trend of interpreting do not resuscitate (DNR) orders as orders not to treat a patient. He recounts instances where elderly patients were denied treatment and left to die, despite their wishes to be treated like a younger patient.

Alan emphasizes the importance of respecting patient autonomy and making sure that elderly patients are not denied medical treatment simply because of their age. He shares a heartening story of successfully treating a 95-year-old patient with urosepsis and restoring him to his previous state of health.

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the thin line between "do not treat" and assisted suicide and the need to ensure that elderly patients are not denied medical treatment based on their age.

Alan Lindemann is an obstetrics-gynecology physician.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Breaking the silence: a doctor’s plea for clarity in end-of-life care."

The Podcast by KevinMD is brought to you by the Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience.

With a growing physician shortage, increasing burnout, and declining patient satisfaction, a dramatic change is needed to make health care more efficient and effective and bring back the joy of practicing medicine. AI-driven ambient clinical intelligence promises to help by revolutionizing patient and provider experiences with clinical documentation that writes itself.

The Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience, or DAX for short, is a voice-enabled, ambient clinical intelligence solution that automatically captures patient encounters securely and accurately at the point of care. Physicians who use DAX have reported a 50 percent decrease in documentation time and a 70 percent reduction in feelings of burnout, and 83 percent of patients say their physician is more personable and conversational.

Rediscover the joy of medicine with clinical documentation that writes itself, all within the EHR.