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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper examines the health care industry and the idea that patients are more autonomous today. The positive effects of this new paradigm are duly noted. The positive nature of paternalism is also explored. Bibliography lists 1 source.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: RT13_SA343pat.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
because until recent times, not too many patients questioned the advice from their physicians (Bryan, 2003). This sense of paternalism, or a "father knows best" mentality, has been a
part of normal life (2003). Today, patients do question doctors but in the past, it was thought that the doctor would treat all of his patients as if they were
a family member (2003). Now, patients still trust the doctors they generally find, but the good ones are harder to find and in the HMO and PPO maze they sometimes
do not have access to trusted specialists. Further, consumers are more savvy today and realize that a doctors opinion is just that. It is not the be all and end
all of diagnosis but rather just an educated guess and a patient should be encouraged to get other advice. Ethics comes into the picture as well as legal considerations
when giving advice to a patient. A wrong diagnosis can be costly in terms of money and health so a physician should always encourage patients to seek second opinions. At
the very least, they should not discourage their clients to seek other advice. Of course, the balance between paternalism and patient autonomy can be tricky. There are always hypochondriacs or
the medically educated who do not necessarily agree with the doctors findings. Probing the doctor for additional information, particularly if the patient is on the wrong track, or has simply
encountered some odd information, can cost the doctor time. Further, there is so much misinformation on the Internet that forsaking paternalism can prompt a patient to try some dangerous alternative
treatment promoted by unscrupulous individuals. At the same time, there are experts who do misdiagnose serious illnesses. Examples of this are numerous. For instance, a woman may complain of chest
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