On a Saturday morning, Michael, a physician, was making his way through the hospital atrium after his weekend rounds. On his way out, he noticed a family he knew well. They were talking quietly and appeared distraught. He asked them if they were okay. They said that the husband’s mother had been admitted overnight with a malignant pleural effusion, and since all beds on the oncology floor were full, she had been placed on the general medicine service.
The patient had a primary oncologist, but he was not on call. The family wanted to take the patient home on hospice, but the team had not decided whether to tap the effusion or place a drain. As a result, she would be remaining in the hospital over the weekend.
Michael offered to accompany the family to the patient’s room and see if he could help to sort matters out in a timelier fashion. The family readily agreed, and they accompanied him up to the patient’s room.
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