Clues for the Clueless – Epilogue

Epilogue

That’s all I have for now.

Thanks for all the comments, both the ones criticising my position and those (few) agreeing. The 'correct' patient-doctor relationship is by no means immutable and in fact must change with time and social norms, and be individualised for each patient-doctor pairing.

The trend in the past few decades have been towards greater patient participation and autonomy. For this new paradigm to work, patients must play their part. It is vain to ask for more autonomy if the patient does not even understand or seek to understand the basic principles behind our practice, or continues to think in immature thought patterns.

And because it’s a two-way relationship, doctors must assert their views on what the proper patient-doctor relationship should be like.

A doctor’s right to minister to patients is not derived from the patients but from the professional body to which he belongs; he must practise according to standards set by that body and not just pander to patient demands.

A doctor’s right to minister to a patient is derived from the patient; the patient has a right to accept or refuse a treatment proposed by the doctor.

I guess that sums up my position.

Thank you for reading.