It used to be that doctors knew best. We told you what to do and you obediently complied. The world has changed and the paternalistic system of yore has given way to the shared decision model where patient autonomy is respected. The Old Way: “Well, I’ll be setting you up for surgery soon.” The New & Improved Way: “Let’s discuss all of the reasonable options with their respective advantages and drawbacks. Then, you make the call.” To paraphrase the mantra of Fox News: D octors Report – You decide! Has our current fidelity to patient autonomy improved medical outcomes? I have no idea. It has certainly changed patient’s (and our) experience, but I do not know if it has improved patients’ health. I wonder if doctors and patients who have experienced both systems believe that the current system have improved medical outcomes. Has anyone measured if the new system is better? Not every patient wants this level of authority. I cannot count how ofte
MD Whistleblower presents vignettes and commentaries on the medical profession. We peek 'behind the medical curtain' and deliver candor and controversy in every post.