You Know It Is Unethical to Treat Your Own Family, but if It Were Allowed, Would You Do It?
Anthony Youn, M.D., is a plastic surgeon in Detroit. He is the author of "In Stitches," a humorous memoir nearly growing upwards Asian American and becoming a doctor.
The injuries are so severe that he needs a doctor to operate on him immediately. Fifty-fifty though a qualified surgeon is ready, willing and able to perform his surgery, do you enquire that surgeon to step aside and operate on your grandson yourself?
This was a dilemma that a colleague of mine encountered several years ago. At this moment of crisis, he faced the choice that physicians face all the time: Do y'all requite medical care to your family members or leave it up to other doctors?
Not wanting to put Joey's life into some other surgeon'due south hands, Dr. Sanders decided to operate on his grandson himself.
Joey died several hours later on in the operating room.
A 1991 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 99% of the 465 physicians surveyed received requests from family members for medical advice, diagnosis and treatment. Eighty-three percent prescribed medications for a family member, 80% diagnosed medical illnesses, 72% performed concrete examinations, 15% acted as a family member'southward primary dr., and 9% performed surgery on a family member.
Bottom line: physicians often treat family members. But does that make it right?
Not according to most physicians and physician associations. The American Medical Clan'south Code of Medical Ethics: Opinion 8.nineteen states that "physicians generally should not treat themselves or members of their firsthand families." The American Higher of Physicians Ethics Manual states that "physicians should avert treating themselves, shut friends, or members of their ain family." William Beaumont Infirmary, where I operate and human activity as acquaintance professor of surgery, forbids surgeons from operating on family members.
Every bit physicians, nosotros are taught to hold the medico–patient human relationship sacred and to keep a proper professional purlieus between usa and our patients. In this way, nosotros tin prevent emotions from clouding medical judgment.
Obviously, emotions play a function when it comes to family. I react very differently when one of my children gets hurt than I do when I run across an injured patient in my part. I can easily autumn into my nervous "Daddy" mode and step out of my confident "Doctor" mode.
In an extreme case such as Dr. Sanders and his grandson, any less-than-acceptable medical outcome can do more than strain the medico-patient relationship. It tin tear a family apart.
Withal, so many physicians - including plastic surgeons - insist on treating family members. I know of many male plastic surgeons who have performed breast augmentations, tummy tucks, and facelifts on their wives. I suspect at that place are several reasons for this.
First, as surgeons, nosotros are supremely confident in our grooming and skills and worry that another surgeon might not do as good a job as we would. 2nd, performing the surgery ourselves tin can relieve a lot of money. Tertiary, and most disturbing, some plastic surgeons use their spouses as living billboards for their piece of work. To them, in that location is no better advert than showing off their fifty-year-sometime spouse who now kind of resembles Pam Anderson.
Yuck.
Full disclosure: Other than removing a mole or 2, I've never operated on my wife and I never will. I consider myself a highly skilled surgeon, I've been known to exist a teeny scrap frugal, and I've purchased advert for my do in the past.
Yet, the potential risk of a devastating situation similar Dr. Sanders' is reason enough for me to avoid performing surgery on my married woman. Well, this and one other major cistron - I have no want to come across her insides.
I'll leave that to another doctor.
Source: https://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/09/why-doctors-shouldnt-treat-family-members/comment-page-20/
0 Response to "You Know It Is Unethical to Treat Your Own Family, but if It Were Allowed, Would You Do It?"
Post a Comment