I think this is the right approach. Except in unusual instances, patients hire doctors to be their advisors, not to make decisions for them or, more broadly, to assume control over their lives. This is equally true for other professionals, such as lawyers. And professionals of all types have difficulty resisting the temptation to take ov…
I think this is the right approach. Except in unusual instances, patients hire doctors to be their advisors, not to make decisions for them or, more broadly, to assume control over their lives. This is equally true for other professionals, such as lawyers. And professionals of all types have difficulty resisting the temptation to take over. Because professionals know more than laypersons, the inclination to assume control is natural. But it must be resisted, and it will be if professionals remind themselves of the limits on their authority. Patients' wellbeing is a stake, and many decisions about treatments require judgments about non-medical matters--judgments that patients are in the best position to make.
I think this is the right approach. Except in unusual instances, patients hire doctors to be their advisors, not to make decisions for them or, more broadly, to assume control over their lives. This is equally true for other professionals, such as lawyers. And professionals of all types have difficulty resisting the temptation to take over. Because professionals know more than laypersons, the inclination to assume control is natural. But it must be resisted, and it will be if professionals remind themselves of the limits on their authority. Patients' wellbeing is a stake, and many decisions about treatments require judgments about non-medical matters--judgments that patients are in the best position to make.