Thursday, February 13, 2014

Why I can be critical of other doctors

Dr Aniruddha Malpani, an IVF specialist and a strong advocate of patient therapy often breaks omerta – the professional code of silence that most doctors have about their peers. He tells us exactly why it bodes well for the entire healthcare system if doctors start being more straightforward and honest, which will include criticism of their peers. 

I can be quite opinionated and having strong feelings about why and how doctors should be open and transparent when treating patients. This is why , when I review the medical records of patients who have done IVF cycles in other clinics , and find that they do not have photographs of their embryos , I get upset and tell them that any IVF clinic which doesn’t routinely and proactively provide embryo photographs is not a good clinic in my book. Poor quality documentation often suggests poor quality medical care. Many patients get very agitated and upset when I say this, and I can understand why. After all, when you take treatment with a doctor, you do establish a relationship with that doctor, and are naturally upset when the doctor is being criticized (by a new doctor, with whom you have no relationship. Patients do quite a lot of homework before deciding which IVF clinic to go to, and they would rather believe that they made a good choice. You want to continue to believe that your choice of doctor was a good one, which is why patients often become defensive when I am frank and forthright. Read more at
http://health.india.com/healthcare/why-i-criticise-doctors-n214/

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