What would you do?

[HopelessMS]

You're managing a complicated patient in the hospital. You order imaging and call the department to clarify your order. A tech answers and after you explain what you want in your order, the tech appears to hang up but did not. Likely the phone was not properly set on its base and you can hear the tech imitating you in a mocking tone to their colleague and questioning why such an order was made.

How do you handle the situation as the physician? Let it slide or rain fire?

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[GoSpursGo]

How about discuss professionally, and if necessary report through appropriate channels?

This is standard hostile workplace stuff and the response should not be specific to if you are a physician or not. Maybe that person was having a rough day and generally nobody deserves to have you “rain fire” for one lapse in judgement, but they do need to receive feedback that it isn’t acceptable.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

You're managing a complicated patient in the hospital. You order imaging and call the department to clarify your order. A tech answers and after you explain what you want in your order, the tech appears to hang up but did not. Likely the phone was not properly set on its base and you can hear the tech imitating you in a mocking tone to their colleague and questioning why such an order was made.

How do you handle the situation as the physician? Let it slide or rain fire?

Never happened before? Do nothing.

Pattern of behavior, call back later and, in a friendly tone, let them know that its always a wise move to make sure the phone hangs up before you say mean things about someone then hang up after a polite "have a nice day".

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

You're managing a complicated patient in the hospital. You order imaging and call the department to clarify your order. A tech answers and after you explain what you want in your order, the tech appears to hang up but did not. Likely the phone was not properly set on its base and you can hear the tech imitating you in a mocking tone to their colleague and questioning why such an order was made.

How do you handle the situation as the physician? Let it slide or rain fire?

I mean I get it no one likes to get disrespected, but in this situation I’d personally just forget about it. It just doesn’t seem worth my breath. If something was said directly to me or if this was a continuous behavior then I yes I agree that it should be addressed.

 

[mistafab]

Pick your battles.

I wouldn’t pick this one.

 

[HopelessMS]

I think the resident handled it pretty well. They called back, told the tech it was unprofessional and disrespectful and that next time if they wanted to talk trash make sure the phone is completely hung up.

 

[mrbreakfast]

Was the phone call recorded? Because if not, it's your word against a room full of techs, who are higher in the pecking order than a resident physician.

The whole "the physician is king" mindset in healthcare died long ago. As others have said, pick your battles very carefully. Remember that you may be going up against someone who has zero motivation to report events accurately, who can (and likely will) recruit coworkers as false witnesses, and for whom this is literally "just a job," the same job as they could start tomorrow at another hospital down the street. The hospital cares way more about keeping their few dozen CT/MRI techs happy than soothing the ego of one of their hundreds of residents.

If you have a serious problem with someone that affects patient care, go to their supervisor, with the understanding that if you directly confront a non-physician, it is likely YOU that will get in trouble. If they're just rude to you, take it in stride. Ultimately we're all cogs in one machine and there's less strain if we all rotate the same way.

Finally: the techs are just regular people with stressful jobs, and spend their days dealing with people yelling at them that their patient's scan is more important than any other scans on the schedule. I'm not saying this is what happened in any way in your situation, but you catch way more flies with honey than vinegar if you want things done in the hospital.

 

[HopelessMS]

The resident was juggling the landline and had the tech on speaker on the cell. It was heard by the other residents. There was no ego involved or anything of that nature. The tech was questioning patient management with the snark. The resident should be commended for how they handled the situation.

 

[Styrene]

You're managing a complicated patient in the hospital. You order imaging and call the department to clarify your order. A tech answers and after you explain what you want in your order, the tech appears to hang up but did not. Likely the phone was not properly set on its base and you can hear the tech imitating you in a mocking tone to their colleague and questioning why such an order was made.

How do you handle the situation as the physician? Let it slide or rain fire?

Do nothing unless it is impacting patient care. If it is, I'd ask my direct supervisor for advice on the matter.

 

[Hollow Knight]

a room full of techs, who are higher in the pecking order than a resident physician

dang.........

 

[LunaOri]

Wouldn’t have hung up the phone. Laugh loudly and say “hey, they don’t know we’re still listening!”

 

[HopelessMS]

Yup

Resident yelled into the speaker three times that we can still hear you but tech didn’t hear and kept talking until finally the line went dead.

 

[operaman]

I’d just let it slide. I’m just glad I haven’t left the phone on when I say things after half the bs consults I’ve gotten over the years. I’m always super nice on the phone, but have vented quite a few times to colleagues once I hang up!

Techs can question and snark all they want as long as they perform the scan like I need it done. I just don’t care enough about their opinion of my decision making to bother making an issue of it.