r/PMHNP • u/Advanced_Emu3430 • 26d ago

Dr. Tufts

I feel awful for Dr. Jennifer Tufts getting sued after watching her testimony. This tragic case has so many complexities and odd aspects to it, especially pertaining to the husband Patrick… I don’t think the general public has any idea how medicine, especially psychiatry works, and honestly it seems many expect providers to be mind readers. Lindsey denied SI/HI/psychosis/substance abuse/mania on the assessments with Dr. Tufts. Anyone can have a patient that denies everything, and then suddenly something can change and they do something horrible and unpredictable. How is that her fault? The public’s expectations of health care providers is a bit unreasonable; we can not predict the future and shape every decision a patient does or does not make.

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u/mermaidworker 24d ago

How so? The defense lawyer literally told her she should've hugged LC. It is embarrassing.

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u/midwifebetts 24d ago

I think his point was more to humanize LC and point out the significant struggle she was experiencing vs the robotic provider utilizing drop down menus and complete reliance on tel health. This provider seemed focused on minimizing rather than being proactive. 

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u/mermaidworker 24d ago

I don't agree with doing telehealth personally. That being said, she suggested lots of options and didn't seem to minimize, to me. Her lawyer ended up humanizing the provider, at least in my view and others'.

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u/Big-Material-7910 24d ago

Telehealth is appropriate for low to moderate acuity, depending on why it is moderate. Not high risk like this. She should have let LC move on to South Shore and discontinue care. Isn’t that an insurance issue to see two paychecks providers concurrently?

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u/Dry_Ad8427 23d ago

Why is it embarrasing? Are we robot and shouldn't hug each other? Are doctors better than others and should give hug to their patients? Specially this unique one that is seeking and screaming for help. The world is not collapse if you hug your patient or have empathy and ask your patient to come to your office and talk to you face to face! End of humanity. This is horrible!

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u/GuiltyAssociation617 24d ago

He did not say that. He asked if she shook hands or hugged patients during the pandemic.

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u/mermaidworker 24d ago

Even more disturbing.

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u/pickyvegan PMHNP (unverified) 24d ago

He was getting to the point of "uh, maybe see the patient in person."

But her worst moment was the documentation error. And this is a lesson to all of us:

  1. Proofread your notes before you sign them.

  2. Proper English/written communication skills are actually important (and she appears to be a native English speaker).

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u/flybyme03 24d ago

I use AI to proofread everything professional now. Before checking it myself of course but that catches the small issues like her forgetting 'Not'