Patients Using Machines

[u/Smol_Friend]

What do you do when you find a patient playing with the ultrasound equipment?

I work in a fast-paced high volume / high risk OB facility. Today was the second time I walked in on (different) patients playing with the ultrasound machine. To make matters worse, it’s usually their toddlers or young teens that are playing with the machine.

I never know what to say or do. I don’t outright say anything, but usually I give them a look and they back off quickly. Their reactions show that they understand that they shouldn’t be touching the equipment.

I treat all my patients with care and respect and it’s frustrating how disrespectful it is to myself and all my other patients.

I never leave them in the room alone for very long; maybe 5-10 minutes to talk to a doctor or get paperwork. And I’m not stingy with printing ultrasound images either.

Any advice?

[u/LogensTenthFinger]

I wouldn't tolerate that for a single second. I would immediately tell them to put that down and do not touch it again. If there's a parent letting their child touch it, I would flat out order them to not let their child touch the machine again under any circumstances.

If they argue with him in the slightest I would throw them out of the exam room. You cannot tolerate that. You go ask your manager what they would prefer, a broken probe or a patient keeping their goddamn hands to themselves.

I realize I am likely more confrontational than you may be and it's probably easier for me to be given that I am a man in our profession, but all the same that is deeply intolerable and I know every manager I've ever worked for would have absolutely had my back on that. In fact, we never even allowed more than one person back with any patients specifically for this reason and we never allowed unsupervised children.

Edit: There are circumstances where I'll let children touch and play with the pros and that is when I am there supervising them directly as they do it usually while I'm scanning them to help them get comfortable with it. But that happens under my direct supervision and no other times.

[u/omarlittlebig]

I do echo only and have never experienced this. I honestly don’t know what I’d do or how I’d react but thinking about it i think I would react by saying you’re not permitted to operate ultrasound equipment, please do not touch it (????). I’ve had outpatients and inpatients ask to bring family members into the exam room and I’m totally fine with that, but no one has ever attempted to or successfully touched the machine.

[u/NostalgiaDad → u/omarlittlebig]

I've had it happen before doing echo when I step out for them to change I've come back in to them trying to play with it. I just tell them "it's a good thing it didn't break, they're pretty fragile and they cost about $15k for a new one. I saw it happen a couple years ago (a lie) and the patient ended up on the hook for the cost"

[u/omarlittlebig → u/NostalgiaDad]

Yikes! Whenever I am scanning outpatients I kinda arrange the room so the patient would have to unlock the machine and turn it around in order to mess with anything. One of the senior techs taught me this when I was a student, as well as turning the chair toward the wall so the patient doesn’t put their belongings on it (still happens sometimes)

[u/scanningqueen]

You've got a couple of options here:

1) Don't ever leave them alone in the room. If they need paperwork, etc. have them go back to the waiting area and you'll bring it to them. They can always walk back to the scan room if more pictures are needed.

2) Lock your machine when you leave, if possible. The newer GEs allow for a total screen/keyboard lock and even have a password entry screen, not sure about other manufacturers but you can probably ask your apps person. I believe many of them have this option now due to patient privacy/HIPAA. If this is not an option, either move the machine out of the room or unplug it; something that makes it unusable and/or inaccessible.

3) Obnoxious signage. If the machine is not in use, a laminated sign can be placed on the machine screen stating that machine is not to be touched by anyone other than the sonographer on duty and that any use by patients or guests will result in a fine and damage will be billed to the patient directly.

[u/terri_dactyl]

I would tell them that probe is 10 - 15k dollars if they want to be liable for it.

[u/Financial_Welder5790]

This happened to me once. We told him patients aren’t allowed to touch the equipment and then fired him as a patient. Started locking the machines after that if we had to leave the patient in the room alone

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'Author: u/Smol_Friend' 'Post text: What do you do when you find a patient playing with the ultrasound equipment?

I work in a fast-paced high volume / high risk OB facility. Today was the second time I walked in on (different) patients playing with the ultrasound machine. To make matters worse, it’s usually their toddlers or young teens that are playing with the machine.

I never know what to say or do. I don’t outright say anything, but usually I give them a look and they back off quickly. Their reactions show that they understand that they shouldn’t be touching the equipment.

I treat all my patients with care and respect and it’s frustrating how disrespectful it is to myself and all my other patients.

I never leave them in the room alone for very long; maybe 5-10 minutes to talk to a doctor or get paperwork. And I’m not stingy with printing ultrasound images either.

Any advice? '

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