444 14 PAest RS The Merry-Go-Round-Letter to My Doctor When I went to your offic

Question

444 14 PAest RS The Merry-Go-Round-Letter to My Doctor When I went to your office, it was with great hopes that someone was finally going to piece together all of the bizarre symptoms I have been experiencing over the past several monshs and get to the cause of my pain. I was quite frankly shocked by how 1 was treated as a patient-especially one experiencing a health crisis A medical student, who wrote my history and current health problems on the pages of a small "yellow sticky pad," examined me. You were not in the room when he examined me, and then I saw you for approximately 10 minutes. You took the card of my New York doctor and said you were going to call him, then you said you would call me regarding what you thought the next steps should be. and called you on Friday because my local doctor said that you had not called, and I was told you were on vacation. I asked that you call me. You never did. I called you yesterday again, but you did not answer, nor did you return my call. On Monday. I received a letter-from a medical student, I assume. Although I empa thize with the demands on your time, I have never seen a handwritten letter, which 1 received, informing me of test results I provided to you prior to my appointment with you. You never mentioned the liver enzyme clevations or my February test done in New York. Moreover, no mention was made regarding any plan to help me alleviate immediate problems. Doctor, I am not a complainer or a person with a low pain tolerance. Since moving here, I've had fainting episodes, severe chest pain and pressure, leg and arm pain and stif- ness, congestion on the left side when the pain kicks in, and by 3 p.m. I have to go home and lie down because I'm so weak and tired. I cannot continue to exist like this. It is not normal. If you're too busy and don't want to take me as a patient, you will not offend me. Frankly. I need attention now to get these things resolved. Testing my cholesterol in a month will not address the problem. I've been treated for that for 3 years. Please call or write to me so I can get another doctor if I have to. Patient [The physician never responded.] Discussion 1. The physician never responded to the patient's letter of desperation. Discuss what you would suggest the patient should do. 2. Describe the legal and ethical and issues that appear in the correspondence. 5. As the patient continues on her merry-go-round, discuss what you would advise her to do.

Explanation / Answer

1. I would suggest the patient to sue the doctor for medical negligence and approach another good physician for the treatment. It is clear from the patient’s letter that the doctor is least concerned about the patient’s sufferings and has always given false commitments. Hence if the doctor do not reply, the patient should search for the alternatives and seek for damages based on negligence.

2. The legal issues involve the issues related to medical negligence. Any negligence made by the physician while performing his duty which resulted into the injury for patient comes under medical negligence and the patient can sue the physician. Medical negligence happens when the physician fails to provide the reasonable care to the patient and the letter shows that the physician failed in providing the required care which resulted into increased pain and suffering for the patient. The physician has given commitment to call the local doctor and discuss regarding the illness and further treatment. But he did not do the same and also did not call back or attend the patient’s call. All these actions shows that the physician has failed to perform his duty towards the patient. The physician has the ethical responsibility to take proper care of the patient and treat the patients with consideration. The physician should be honest with the patient and act with integrity. All these ethical duties were violated when the doctor showed negligence and left for enjoying vacation without fulfilling the commitment given to the patient.

3. If the patient continues on her merry-go-round, I would advise her to write a strong letter with legal points next time taking the help of a lawyer. She should mention the legal and ethical duties violated by the doctor and the legal steps she is going to take so that the physician would become vigilant and may take the case seriously.

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