Vignette 4 Comatose patient with a new stroke
| Doctor | Reasons | |
|---|---|---|
| *The responses to the vignettes which reflect ethical rather than medical reasoning. | ||
| GP | ||
| Admit | 1 | Because of comatose state |
| NH care | 15 | 7 because the hospital could offer no more than the NH |
| 1 thought the NH could provide better care | ||
| 1 provided the NH could cope | ||
| 1 provided the NH could cope and the relatives were consulted | ||
| 2 depending on what the relatives wanted | ||
| 1 because of poor prognosis | ||
| 1 after home visit by geriatrician | ||
| 1 would not admit but see how things progressed | ||
| Unsure | 1 | Not enough information provided |
| Geriatrician | ||
| Admit | 3 | 1 would admit unless the family wanted otherwise |
| 1 because “all strokes need to be assessed in hospital” | ||
| 1 thought that “bed bound” does not necessarily equate with a poor quality of life* | ||
| NH care | 11 | 9 because the hospital could offer no more than the NH |
| 1 would reconsider if the patient woke up | ||
| 1 provided the NH could cope with symptom control | ||
| Unsure | 4 | 2 because not enough information was provided |
| 2 because they needed to talk to others | ||