A 49-Year-Old Woman Is Transferred from a Community Hospital to a Tertiary

A 49-year-old woman is transferred from a community hospital to a tertiary care center for management of an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  The patient receives care overnight from a hospitalist, who transfers care to the teaching service in the morning.  The medical team now responsible for the patient meets with her for the first time during morning rounds.  The attending physician introduces the team and explains that the patient will be interviewed by the intern.  The patient then addresses the intern by his first name and mentions, "You remind me so much of my son.  He's very smart and looks a lot like you."  Which of the following actions by the intern would be most appropriate to begin the interview?

A) Address the patient by her first name and ask about current symptoms
B) Address the patient by her first name and ask if she is comfortable with that
C) Address the patient by her surname and ask about current symptoms
D) Greet the patient and inquire about her preferred form of address
E) Politely ask the patient to use the title of doctor and then inquire about current symptoms

Correct Answer:

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