Technically, there's no formal definition for a code, but doctors often use the term as slang for a cardiopulmonary arrest happening to a patient in a hospital or clinic, requiring a team of providers (sometimes called a code team) to rush to the specific location and begin immediate resuscitative efforts.
Each hospital or clinic can decide how it wishes to manage and inform staff of potential emergencies. Many institutions use colors (e.g. Code Red, Code Blue) to identify specific types of emergencies. Code Red and Code Blue are both terms that are often used to refer to a cardiopulmonary arrest, but other types of emergencies (for example bomb threats, terrorist activity, child abductions, or mass casualties) may be given code designations, too. Colors, numbers, or other designations may follow a code announcement to identify the type of emergency that is occurring.
Some hospitals announce emergencies over a public address system, while others just alert the necessary personnel via a pager system. Also, the use of the term "code" to signify that an emergency is occurring is not limited to medical practice. Other institutions, such as office buildings, schools, or government facilities, may use code designations to alert personnel that an emergency is occurring.
There are no standard definitions or conventions for the use of code designations. While code blue does refer to a cardiopulmonary arrest at many hospitals, it doesn't necessarily mean the same thing everywhere. But even if you aren't sure about the meaning of announcements you may hear, keep in mind that every hospital or institution has its own policies and conventions for notification of personnel in the event of emergencies, and the doctors and staff are trained to recognize and respond appropriately to these announcements.
"Code-switching"-the mixing of languages, dialects, tones, or lexicons within a single conversation-is a prevalent linguistic phenomenon that has been described thoroughly in the social science literature. However, it is relatively unknown to the medical community despite its clear implications for clinicians as they navigate their role in the physician-patient relationship. As multilingualism and other forms of mixed speech become increasingly common in the urban and globally minded populations of America's modern cities, physicians must be cognizant of how they use their language skills-such as code-switching-to communicate with their patients in an ethical, supportive, and non-offensive manner. Multidisciplinary literature, case studies, and thought experiments on the subject provide an actionable framework by which health professionals can work toward achieving this goal of cultural competence.
She learned from a genetic counselor that continuing to carry both fetuses could put the healthy one at risk. She saw a doctor who specializes in high risk pregnancies who told her: "You can't do anything in Texas and I can't tell you anything further in Texas, but you need to get out of state."
When she returned to Dallas and continued her prenatal care, she found herself navigating silence around abortion. She wondered, if the ultrasound technician knew she'd traveled out of state for an abortion, could she get reported? "You don't know where anybody stands, so it feels like we're all kind of talking in code," Miller says.
Nevertheless, that seems to be what's happening. Many doctors in Texas who treat pregnant patients are extremely scared, especially of language in one of the state's abortion bans that allows people to take civil action against anyone who "aids or abets" abortion.
"People are scared to talk," says Dr. Andrea Palmer, an OB-GYN in Fort Worth. If a doctor acknowledges publicly that they counsel their patients on abortion, she adds, they might worry they would be set up by someone posing as a patient or family member looking to bait them into talking about abortion and then sue.
Sepper argues many doctors and hospital systems are overreading the Texas abortion bans, and should consider the ethical and professional obligations to give patients complete information about their diagnoses and options. "Providing information, even providing referrals, is not within the terms of SB8 or the criminal bans," she says. When doctors and hospitals won't discuss abortion because they're afraid of lawsuits, she says, "I think it's a real disservice to patients."
The reticence on the part of some doctors can have devastating consequences. Dr. Eve Espey is chair of the OB-GYN department at the University of New Mexico, where more and more Texas patients come for abortions they can't get at home.
She recalls one Texas patient whose fetus had acrania, where the fetus has no skull. It's a fatal condition for the fetus. "That was a doctor who didn't tell her, 'Go get care out-of-state,'" says Espey. "She was an immigrant. It took her six weeks to figure out she could travel to New Mexico for an abortion and get the logistics and finances together to be able to go."
"The Texas abortion laws were designed to sow confusion and fear, and they're working," Espey adds. When doctors hear that abortion is illegal and anyone can sue them, they err on the side of caution, rather than practice up to the edge of what's legally allowed. "People want to stay out of trouble, and physicians are no exception to that."
Palmer, the doctor in Fort Worth, agrees. "We are asking questions that we can only provide limited resources for the answer," she says. "And it is really frustrating as a physician to not be able to provide full care for patients."
NPR reached out to five Republican Texas lawmakers to ask about Texas's abortion laws and to get comment on Lauren Miller's story, but none responded to our request. Attorney General Ken Paxton's office also did not respond to NPR's request to explain how the state plans to enforce Texas's abortion laws, especially in relation to doctors and counseling.
O'Donnell of Texas Alliance for Life, one of the the groups in the state that lobbies for abortion restrictions, says her group is not currently advocating for more restrictions. "What we're working for in this session is maintaining our pro-life gains," she says, adding that the medical emergency exception currently in the law is "adequate." Asked about doctors scared to counsel their patients about abortion when their patients are faced with complications that are not immediately life-threatening, she responded: "As far as doctors advocating for abortion, our goal is to make abortion not only illegal in our state, but unthinkable."
COVID-19-related services should be assigned the appropriate COVID-19 ICD-10 diagnosis code. Coding guidance can be found on the CDC website. Cost-sharing waivers may not be applied to claims that do not include an appropriate COVID-19 ICD-10 diagnosis code.
To enter a taxonomy code, start by entering either the taxonomy code, classification code, or specialty in the Choose Taxonomy Filter box. All taxonomies containing the data you enter will display in the dropdown Choose Taxonomy box, allowing you to select the appropriate one. Once you have selected the appropriate Taxonomy code, the corresponding fields below the search box will be populated.
Enter any part of the Taxonomy, the Taxonomy Number, Classification code, or specialty in the search box. The system will then display all Taxonomies containing the information you entered. Select the desired Taxonomy to populate the Taxonomy fields. Provider Type Code: The Provider Type Code will be populated based on the taxonomy you select in the Select in the Taxonomy search box.
Additionally, you can contact the Medical Board's Consumer Information Unit at 1-800-633-2322,or on the Board's website's profiles at Check Your Doctor, to obtain the physician's address of record for theirlicense. Write to the doctor at that address, even if the doctor has died, and requestthat a copy of your records be sent to you. If the address has a forwarding orderon it, your letter will be forwarded to the doctor's new address. The doctor has15 days from the time your letter is received to send you a copy of your records,if the records are still available.
If the doctor died and did not transfer the practice to someone else, you mighthave to check your local Probate Court to see whether the doctor has an executorfor their estate. You could then contact the executor to see if you can geta copy of the records. Depending on how much time has passed, whoever is appointedas the custodian of records can have the records destroyed.
If you want to ensure that your new doctor receives a copy of your medical recordsfrom your previous doctor, you can write your previous doctor requesting that acopy of your medical records be sent directly to you. When you receive your records,you can provide a copy of those records to any provider you choose. If you selectthis method, the doctor must provide the records within 15 days of receipt of yourrequest.
Your main doctor is called a primary care provider (PCP). You can choose your PCP from the many doctors who work with us. Each family member can have a different doctor, or you can choose one to take care of the whole family.
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A doctor shall safeguard the interests and integrity of the individual patient. Patients must be treated with caring and respect. Cooperation with patients should be based on mutual trust and, where possible, on informed consent.
Doctors have different roles as treatment provider, expert and administrator of welfare benefits. These roles have a bearing on how doctors behave, and how they treat sensitive information. A clear distinction must be made between their roles of treatment provider and expert. Doctors are responsible for providing necessary information and appropriate information about their role and the purpose of the contact.
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A doctor shall maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion in respect of information he or she obtains in his or her medical capacity. The ethical obligation to maintain professional secrecy and discretion may extend further than the statutory obligation. The giving of information must be grounded in the patient's implicit or explicit consent or in a statute.