To delineate the responsibilities of residents in the care of patients the following guideline are provided:

The ultimate responsibility for patient care lies with the attending otolaryngologist caring for that patient. As such, all significant patient care decisions must be communicated to the attending physician in a timely manner. The attending physician is that member of the medical staff who has assumed responsibility for the care of the patient prior to resident involvement (e.g., elective admission) or the staff member who subsequently assumes responsibility.

To facilitate supervision, a staff member on call will be assigned for any given day at Temple University Hospital, Temple University Children's Medical Center and Allegheny University Hospital / Hahnemann. That attending physician shall be available at all times either in person or by telephone. An attending on call schedule will be available to residents at least a month in advance.

Communication between resident and attending may take place through direct communication in person or by telephone, or through a senior level resident supervising a junior level resident, when appropriate.

With the exception of life-saving emergencies, all hospital admissions and invasive procedures should receive prior permission from the attending physician. If the attending physician cannot be reached in a timely fashion, the staff member on call for that institution should be contacted. If the staff member on call cannot be reached or should there be any question about the chain of command or the medical or ethical correctness of any instruction, the Department Chairman should be contacted. Should the Chairman be unavailable, the Deputy Chairman should be contacted.

Glenn Isaacson, MD
Professor and Chairman
Revised - December 11, 2001