Untold Stories of the E.R.

[Tryin2makeit1]

Do you all think that shows like Life in the ER, Untold Stories of the ER, and other medical shows glamorize life as a doctor or give an accurate potrayal?

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[DrBowtie]

I think they make people think that you will see cool cases like those everyday.

In reality you will see the same stuff over and over, act as their primary care doc and be pestered for drugs.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Do you all think that shows like Life in the ER, Untold Stories of the ER, and other medical shows glamorize life as a doctor or give an accurate potrayal?

I'm not a clinician, but I've spent over 10 years working in a hospital with my state's largest trauma center - and I spend a lot of time out on the floors.

I really enjoyed "ER" and so did many other people in the hospital - it wasn't that far from a lot of the truth. "Chicago Hope" was (in *my* opinion) kind of a joke. "Grey's Anatomy" is very entertaining, but if our residents spent that much time sleeping with each other, we'd have some very sick patients getting no care at all. The behaviors one often sees in "Grey's" simply would not be tolerated in the real world.

I find it encouraging that so many people like watching medical dramas - but I don't think there is any way to convey to the non-health person ("normal people") the responsibility of being a physician and the emotions that are attached to that. Probably Discovery Health, that uses real practitioners, comes the closest - but I think Discovery Health has a lot more premeds watching it than it has "normal people."

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Actually I find Trauma: Life in the ER to be one of the better shows out there, although if you know what you are looking at, it can be quite disturbing at some of the glaring errors shown. Example: the episode at Barnes-Jewish in STL, the Asian resident is taking care of a guy who fell out of a 2nd story window, and is fluid resuscitating him by pouring saline down his NG tube. Then they cut to a later scene where the surgeon is complaining that they can't get his intestines back into his abdomen after the operation because they are so swollen.....hmmmmmmmm....I wonder why that is......

Of course the show Paramedics was no better- some of the truly boneheaded mistakes made on there made me cringe when I saw them...

 

[Telemachus]

Those "reality" shows sometimes use ridiculously cheesy reenactments that are TOTALLY bogus representations of what really happens.

My nomination for the most misleading medical show is "House." However, it is one of my favorites.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Exactly....I like the show House because everyone says that he reminds them of me (bristly, short-tempered, cantankerous, and at times condescending, but very good at picking out what is going on with a patient), but I agree some of the situations presented on that show are quite laughable.

 

[dilated]

House is the only medical show worth watching.

Dr. Gregory House: [House is eating lunch while sitting next to a patient in a coma] He doesn't mind, I asked.

 

[Flopotomist]

I thought Trauma: Life in the ER could no longer be filmed because of HIPAA... am I wrong?

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

I thought Trauma: Life in the ER could no longer be filmed because of HIPAA... am I wrong?

I don't know... there's really no "personally identifiable health information" - or is there? I'm sure everybody has to sign a standard broadcast release when they're feeling better. Several episodes of "Life in the ER" were filmed at The University of Oklahoma Medical Center, but I don't think they've been around there for a long time.

 

[Flopotomist]

I don't know... there's really no "personally identifiable health information" - or is there? I'm sure everybody has to sign a standard broadcast release when they're feeling better. Several episodes of "Life in the ER" were filmed at The University of Oklahoma Medical Center, but I don't think they've been around there for a long time.

I think there is TONS of personally identiable health information that the film crew would be exposed to... and even if the pt declines to sign a release, and the footage of the pt is not used, wasn't the pts privacy violated by having the film crew present in the first place?

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

I think there is TONS of personally identiable health information that the film crew would be exposed to... and even if the pt declines to sign a release, and the footage of the pt is not used, wasn't the pts privacy violated by having the film crew present in the first place?

Yes, you're right, the patient's diagnosis and treatment is definitely protected information. But I think you can waive your HIPAA rights just like any other right - if you want to make your ER visit your chance to break into show business. Now that I think about it, though, just the act of filming would be a gross violation of the patient's rights because I'm sure they can't get the releases in advance. Maybe that show is toast... shame... I usually always have Discovery Health on when I'm working around the house - one of those weird pre-med things.

 

[Emergency!]

I haven't seen any new episodes of Trauma, Life in the ER recently. Could very well be due to HIPAA.

I heard this rumor that Grant (in Columbus, OH) got in big trouble for something that either happened during filiming or because of something that was shown.

 

[kimmcauliffe]

ER

There was this really cool show on TLC called 'Resident Life'.

 

[obgyny]

ER

There was this really cool show on TLC called 'Resident Life'.

I loved that show!!! I wish they would make some new episodes!!! They only play reruns of like 3 episodes every once in a while.

 

[kimmcauliffe]

I loved that show!!! I wish they would make some new episodes!!! They only play reruns of like 3 episodes every once in a while.

Yeah that was a really good show, pretty accurate so I hear. Especially the dark circles around everyone's eyes!

 

[obgyny]

Yeah that was a really good show, pretty accurate so I hear. Especially the dark circles around everyone's eyes!

"The Residents" on discovery health was another good show, and again, no new episodes