Dr/Patient Relationship Physicians play many roles in society – ranging from family doctors to political activists. However, the primary objective of a healer and/or physician is to provide quality care that serves the patient’s best interests. As our life expectancy grows higher, physicians play an ever more important role in society for our public well-being. In this class, we have already read numerous articles that chronicle the challenges and controversies that are associated with this difficult job. Unfortunately, the readings have generally discouraged me from pursuing a career in the medical field. The most notable discouragement for me to pursue a medical profession is the steady growth of distrust and suspicion within society …show more content…
Past physicians carried a certain authority over the treatment given to patients, however, due to medical progressivism, patients are given more rights to determine the treatments they can accept. Although these steps are certainly in the right direction, there has been a certain ethical dilemma as many doctors are forced to accept patient demands even when it is not the best course of action (Gawande 216). It is easy for us to affirm certain platitudes about patient interests being first in healthcare, but it is also important to investigate the specific nuances of patient care. In many situations, the patient truly is not well versed enough to make decisions about their care (227). While sometimes patients may truly be thankful for a physician’s intervention, any autonomous decision by physicians creates a dangerous precedent for doctor intervention in patient care. However that isn’t the only problem with taking care of patients. Having numerous patients means that physicians must constantly respect and understand many patients from varying backgrounds. Although this seems to be common sense, doctors often have trouble constantly chronicling and treating all of their patients effectively (Groopman 80). Although it is important for a doctor to respect each and every patient, I do not believe that I am capable of constant …show more content…
There seems to be a certain systemic disconnect between medical professionals and pharmaceuticals. This disconnect has decreased doctor autonomy as society has increasingly scrutinized doctor and pharma relations. This has made the implementation of new medical advances more difficult. Additionally, being a doctor also means to accept almost impossible expectations. Doctors are expected to never make mistakes for days at a time while also always putting the patient’s personal requests first. Furthermore, underneath all these challenges is more doubt and uncertainty due to the lack of scientific assurance towards patient treatment. I have no doubt that there are a few people out there who are able to meet all of these expectations, but I personally do not have the ability to shoulder all of these
Alan Goldman argues that medical paternalism is unjustified except in very rare cases. He states that disregarding patient autonomy, forcing patients to undergo procedures, and withholding important information regarding diagnoses and medical procedures is morally wrong. Goldman argues that it is more important to allow patients to have the ability to make autonomous decisions with their health and what treatment options if any they want to pursue. He argues that medical professionals must respect patient autonomy regardless of the results that may or may not be beneficial to a patient’s health. I will both offer an objection and support Goldman’s argument. I will
According to Terrence F. Ackerman, as of the 1980s the American Medical Association had to include the respect for a person’s autonomy as a principle of medical ethics (Ackerman 14, 1982). This includes having the physician provide all the medical information to the patient even if the information could cause negative implication onto the patient. The physician is also expected to withhold all information of the patient from 3rd parties (Ackerman 14, 1982). Although it is seen as standard in today’s world, in
When we see patients, we must remember that we are not simply treating a disease. We are caring for people with lives, hobbies, jobs, families, and friends, who are likely in a very vulnerable position. We must ensure that we use the status of physicians to benefit patients first and foremost, and do what we promised to when we entered the profession: provide care and improve quality of life, and hopefully leave the world a little better than it was
At first, I believed that a patient should have the say so and get what they demand. I didn’t feel sympathetic for the health care provider one bit. I was able to look through the eyes of a physician and see the trials that they have to go through. It is not easy making the decisions that they have to make. There job is based on decisions, and most of it is the patient’s. “There will certainly be times when I will be faced with a request from a patient or patient’s representative that I will personally find morally difficult, but one that is still legally and ethically acceptable. must be very difficult to work in an area with little control over what you want to do.” (Bradley 1). Even though I do not fully understand a health care providers everyday role, I do know that they are faced with painful options. I personally feel that I can not work in this field for that exact reason. Health care providers play an extremely important role in our society, and others need to look upon
Within public health, the issue of paternalism has become a controversial topic. Questions about the ethics of public health are being asked. The role of ethics in medical practice is now receiving close scrutiny, so it is timely that ethical concepts, such as autonomy and paternalism, be re-examined in their applied context (Med J Aust. 1994). Clinically, patients are treated on a one on one basis, but public health’s obligation is toward the protection and promotion of an entire population’s health. So, based on this difference, the gaping questions targeting public health now becomes, under what conditions is it right to intervene and override an individuals’ autonomy? And if so, is the paternalistic intervention justified? Part of the concern
It has been said by many experts that there has been a surplus of physicians in the past, but that there will soon be a shortage of physicians. This shortage will have been instigated by many factors, and is predicted to have various effects on society, both immediate and long term. There have been proposed solutions to this shortage, but there is a fine balance to be found with these many solutions and factors. However, once this balance is found, the long-term mending of the physician shortage may begin.
According to the Hippocratic Oath, which every physician must take, each physician is expected to deliver the form of care which she considers most beneficial to a patient's health. There are a few minor stipulations guiding treatment by a physician, but for the most part, doctors have much liberty in choosing a regimen for a particular patient. If we look only at the Hippocratic Oath as the governing body of a physician's actions, then we must admit that no doctor is obligated to broaden his views and seed treatments with which he is not already familiar. However, every year doctors are required to fulfill certain requirements in continuing educatio...
Quantitative Research Critique on article, Trust in nurse- patient relationships: A literature review by Leyla Dinc and Chris Gastmans
This paper intent to answer difficult ethical questions related to patient autonomy and right for self-determination. What happens when patient health decision goes against public opinion? Nurses trained to follow a principle of beneficence and non-maleficence when providing care. They also taught to respect patient right for self-determination and his free will in making medical decision. Which ethical principle takes priority when providing care for patients and where do we draw a line between harm and respect for individual decisions.
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political, and bioethical reasoning. Inside these connections, it is the limit of a sound individual to make an educated, unpressured decision. Patient autonomy can conflict with clinician autonomy and, in such a clash of values, it is not obvious which should prevail. (Lantos, Matlock & Wendler, 2011). In order to gain informed consent, a patient
In his essay, “The Refutation of Medical Paternalism,” Alan Goldman discusses his argument against differentiation in the roles between physicians and patients. He says the physician may act against a patient’s will in order treat the patient in their best interest. Goldman makes his whole argument around the assumption that a person’s right to decide his or her future is the most important and fundamental right, saying, “the autonomous individual is the source of those other goods he enjoys, and so is not to be sacrificed for the sake of them.” His claim is that most people agree that they are the best judges of their own self-interest and there is an innate value in the freedom to determine their own future. On these principles, Goldman starts by discussing conditions under which paternalism may be justified.
Autonomy is very important in healthcare today. Patient autonomy and professional autonomy are two things to be considered in the medical profession. Patient autonomy is the right of the patient to make decisions regarding their own healthcare. Professional autonomy on the other hand is the right of the healthcare provider to turn down treatments that are unrelated to the condition of the patient and/or a concern for safety. Taking into consideration Rule Utilitarianism, Kant’s Deontology, Virtue Ethics and the Feminist Theory of power relationships, Dr. Brown should not renew Mr. Noble’s prescription for tranquillizers until there is evident proof that it is treating his condition.
With the explosive growth in the 1990s of managed care that were sold by health insurance companies, physicians were suddenly renamed “providers.” That began the deprofessionalization of medicine, and within a short time patient became “consumers” (The New York Times). The shifts in American medicine are clearly leading to physicians' losing power, which results in deprofessionalization. The subsequent deprofessionalization of physicians should not surprise Americans. Although many people spend time and effort evaluating the present state of medicine, they fail to integrate an important piece of information: physicians and sociologists predicted all of today's events more than ten years ago (Hensel, 1988).
The doctor patient relationship is an important connection. Doctor-patient confidentiality is based on the idea that a person should not care for medical treatment because they fear the state will share with others.
Peplau's theories has laid the foundations for all who wants to build a relationship and can be seen as a guide to help with any interventions with patients. The nurse-patient relationship has been defined as an on going relationship whilst that patient needed that care. The relationship between nurse and the patient must have honesty, humility and is based on a partnership which is negotiated between them both (Peterson and Bredow 2009). Peplau (1991) describes nursing as an interpersonal process between the nurse and the client, it aims to help identify the clients problems and how to relate to them. A therapeutic relationship is a trusting relationship which is made up of 2 or more people which contribute and help towards the care of the patient (Forster 2001). To build up this trust there must be good communication between both parties. Nursing is a communicative intervention and is founded on effective communication (Nursing Planet 2011). For a relationship to build there must be a lot of time spent between two parties. A nurse-patient relationship must have time to develop so that they can be able to identify illness and ways to help meet their needs. The nurse spends more time with a patient than a doctor, and therefore has more opportunity not only to observe but also talk with and come to know the patient (Barker 2009). For a relationship to build there has to be great contributions from both Nurse and Patient, from having regular and private interaction, to be honest and congruent, to let the patient set the pace, to listen to the patients concerns and to promote the patients comfort whilst in the meeting with them. The development of the nurse-patient relationship in Mental Health is the heart to any treatment approache...