The Vital Role of Professionalism in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Professionalism in medicine is universally embraced, and it is the foundation for core competencies in medical education, clinical practice, and research. Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians must master a complex body of knowledge and use this to responsibly care for patients. Rehabilitation professionals work in various settings; however, each one must establish and maintain ethical standards consistent with the specialty and national standards. For example, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education lists professionalism as one of its six core competencies, which trainees must master. There is a growing interest in professionalism and some of the ethical issues that it encompasses. This report provides a general overview of professionalism. Future reports are needed, and there is an opportunity to consider many facets of professionalism in greater detail.

When No One Notices: Disorders of Consciousness and the Chronic Vegetative State.

On January 5, 2019, the Associated Press reported that a woman thought to have been in the vegetative state for over a decade gave birth at a Hacienda HealthCare facility. Until she delivered, the staff at the Phoenix center had not noticed that their patient was pregnant. The patient was also misdiagnosed. Misdiagnosis of patients with disorders of consciousness in institutional settings is more the norm than the exception. Misdiagnosis is also connected to a broad and extremely significant change in the understanding of the vegetative state-a change that the field of bioethics has not yet fully taken into account. In September 2018, the American Academy of Neurology, the American College of Rehabilitation Medicine, and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research issued a comprehensive evidence-based review on disorders of consciousness and an associated practice guideline on the care of these patients. These landmark publications update the 1994 Multi-Society Task Force Report on the Vegetative State, which subcategorized the persistent vegetative state as either persistent (once the vegetative state lasted one month) or permanent (once the vegetative state lasted three months after anoxic injury or twelve months after traumatic injury). Noting that 20 percent of patients thought to be permanently unconscious might regain some level of consciousness, the new guideline has eliminated the permanent vegetative state as a diagnostic category, replacing it with the chronic vegetative state.

Evaluación del ambiente electromagnético en salas de rehabilitación / Evaluation of the electromagnetic environment in rehabilitation wards

Se realizó un estudio del ambiente electromagnético en 2 departamentos de electroterapia del municipio Palma Soriano de Santiago de Cuba, a fin de obtener el patrón de distribución para diferentes modos de operatividad y explotación del equipamiento médico-terapéutico. Para la caracterización electromagnética de los ambientes evaluados se elaboró un protocolo de medición a partir del análisis de normas internacionales y se empleó un medidor isotrópico que mostró los resultados a través de mapas de contorno. El equipo electromédico Magnetomed, modelo 7200 fue el que más aportó, aunque el valor máximo de la inducción magnética obtenido (19,7 µT) estuvo por debajo del límite de exposición establecido y por encima del límite de exposición sugerido por el Grupo de Trabajo Bioiniciativa. Se recomienda limitar la permanencia de personas en sus proximidades mientras está en funcionamiento(AU)

A study of the electromagnetic environment was carried out in 2 electrotherapy departments of Palma Soriano in Santiago de Cuba, in order to obtain the distribution pattern for different operability ways and exploitation of the medical-therapeutic equipment. For the electromagnetic characterization of the evaluated environments a measurement protocol was elaborated starting from the analysis of international standards and an isotropic measure was used that showed the results through contour maps. The electro-medical device Magnetomed, model 7200 was the one that contributed the most, although the maximum value of the obtained magnetic induction (19.7 µT) was below the established exhibition limit and above the exhibition limit suggested by the Bioiniciativa Work Group. It is recommended to limit the permanency of people around, while it is in operation.(AU)

PATIENT'S RIGHT TO INFORMED CONSENT IN REPUBLIC SRPSKA: LEGAL AND ETHICAL ASPECTS (WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PHYSICAL REHABILITATION).

The principle of informed consent, which requires a patient's fully-informed consent prior to the medical treatment, is closely connected with the value of human dignity. The realization and protection of a patient's dignity is not possible without his/her right to choose the character and scope of medical treatment. This goal cannot be adequately achieved within the traditional model of medical paternalism characterized by the physician's authoritative position. The first part of the article deals with the content and ethical significance of the informed consent doctrine. The legal framework of informed consent in Republic Srpska (RS), one of the two Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH)entities, is analyzed. Special reference is made to the relevance of the informed consent principle within the physical rehabilitation process. Although ethical aspects of physical rehabilitation are often overlooked, this medical field possesses a strong ethical dimension (including an appropriate realization of the patient's right to informed consent).

Published research and physiatric opinion in life care planning.

This article outlines the use of medical literature to support a physiatrist's expert opinion in the development of a life care plan and proposes a basic ethical code of conduct in performing medicolegal work.

La troncalidad una oportunidad para la especialidad / Core subjects: an opportunity for the specialty

No disponible

Aspectos formativos del MIR de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación / Educational aspects of the residency training of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

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Conflictos éticos en el aprendizaje de los médicos internos residentes de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación / Ethical conflicts in training of the medical residents of physical medicine and rehabilitation

Objetivo. Intentar identificar el lugar que ocupa el concepto ético en la actuación diaria de los médicos internos residentes (MIR) de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación. Material y método. Se realizó un estudio prospectivo en el que participaron 13 MIR de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación con el objetivo de identificar los conflictos éticos que pueden producirse durante el aprendizaje de la especialidad. Realizamos un documento para el análisis de las habilidades éticas que consistía en 10 casos clínicos de situaciones habituales en rehabilitación. Todas las preguntas tenían cinco respuestas posibles en las que se incluían los indicadores para la evaluación de la ética médica. Las respuestas podían ser: a) respeto o actitud basada en los principios de autonomía, beneficencia, ausencia de maleficencia y justicia; b) evasión en la que se subroga el compromiso de actuar a una autoridad o a otros colegas, y c) falta de respeto, que es la ausencia de respeto a la autonomía del paciente, las actitudes no beneficientes, la maleficencia o la injusticia. Resultados. Sobre un rango máximo total de todos los participantes de 1.300 puntos se obtuvieron 1.008,5 puntos, lo que significa el 77,6% y está situado en el mejor cuartil. Resultados. La media del grupo fue de 25,2 puntos (desviación estándar de 2,8) con un rango situado entre 22,5–27,1 puntos. Las preguntas con resultados más inadecuados fueron la 8 y la 9, referidas a la falta de colaboración del paciente y a las actitudes inadecuadas de otros profesionales del equipo multidisciplinario de rehabilitación. Conclusión. El estudio indica la necesidad de institucionalizar programas de formación específicos para los MIR en el apartado ético(AU)

Objective. To attempt to identify the place occupied by the ethical concept in the daily performance of resident physicians (RP) of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR). Material and methods. A prospective study involving 13 RP of PMR was performed in order to identify the ethical conflicts that may occur during the specialty training. We elaborated a document for the analysis of ethical skills, which consisted of 10 clinical cases of common situations in Rehabilitation. All the questions had 5 possible answers that included indicators for the evaluation of medical ethics. The answers could be: a) Respect or attitude based on the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance and justice, b) avoidance in which commitment to act is subrogated to an authority or other colleagues, c) lack of respect, which is the absence of respect of the patient's autonomy, non-beneficence, malfeasance or injustice attitudes. Results. On a total maximum range for all the participants of 1300 points, 1008.5 points were obtained. This accounts for 77.6%, which would be located in the best quartile. The group average was 25.2 points (SD 2.8), with a range located between 22.5 and 27.1 points. The questions having the most inadequate results were numbers 8 and 9, concerning lack of patient cooperation and inappropriate attitudes of other professionals in the multidisciplinary rehabilitation team. Conclusion. The study indicates the need to institutionalize specific training programs for the Resident Physician within the ethics section(AU)

Patologías más frecuentes tratadas en consultorios externos de Fisiatría / No disponible

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La carpeta de aprendizaje: una innovación docente en la asignatura de Radiología y Medicina Física Especial / The portfolio: an innovate educational project on the subject of Radiology and Special Physical Medicine

Objetivo. Presentar una innovación docente desarrollada en la asignatura de Radiología y Medicina Física Especial durante el curso académico 2006-2007. Sujetos y métodos. Los alumnos realizaron una rotación durante dos semanas en los servicios de Radiodiagnóstico y Medicina Nuclear, en grupos pequeños. La metodología docente utilizada fue la carpeta de aprendizaje o portafolio. Se describen los aspectos fundamentales para la elaboración de la carpeta y de los casos clínicos, así como del sistema de evaluación. Dentro del ciclo de mejora continuada se llevó a cabo una encuesta de satisfacción. Resultados. Los resultados académicos obtenidos fueron excelentes. La mayoría de los alumnos consideraron que la asignatura fue interesante. También señalaron una valoración positiva de la rotación, de los seminarios y del sistema de evaluación. Asimismo, la opinión de los alumnos acerca de la experiencia docente realizada fue muy favorable. Conclusión. La satisfacción global de los alumnos ha sido muy alta con la metodología docente implantada en la asignatura (AU)

Aim. To introduce a learning innovation on the subject of Radiology and Special Physical Medicine along the academic year 2006/2007. Subjects and methods. Working in small groups, students carried out a two-week rotation in the departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine. The portfolio was the educational methodology used. The main aspects to elaborate the portfolio, the case reports, aswell as the evaluation system are described. A satisfaction survey within the continuous improvement course was performed. Results. The academic results achieved were excellent. The subject was considered interesting by most of the students. A positive evaluation about the rotation made by the students, the seminaries and the evaluation system was made. Students’ opinion about the educational experience performed was also, very favourable. Conclusion. The educational methodology introduced in the subject has produced a high level of satisfaction among the students (AU)