NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 5 WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 WHAT ETHICAL standards should patients expect from a visit to their family physician? At a minimum, patients are expected to be treated with respect, honesty, fairness, equity, and dignity and should have the utmost confidence in their interactions with their family physicians. These ethical considerations should be extended to all patients regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, social standing, or sexual orientation. When a patient is treated with respect, it will form the basis for a trusting, and lasting relationship, which will be to the benefit of both physician and patient. To effect an honest relationship between doctor and patient. There should be clear, precise, and effective communication. Communication between doctors and patients should be in a language and style that is easily understood by the patient andwithout condescension on the part of the doctor. Doctors should avoid unnecessary interruptions while communicating with their patients. Clear communication will avoid confusion and unmet expectations. Whatever the treatment goals and procedures to be undertaken by the doctor, the expected outcomes should be discussed fully with the patient before being undertaken. Equally important before any treatment or procedure is undertaken , a patient informed consent should be obtained. Fairness and honesty are common expectations that should define the relationship between patients and doctors. Patients expect that the services that have been agreed upon should be the ones delivered. Services should be provided promptly without wasting the patient’s time by having the patient make repeated visits or experience unnecessary delays due to the tardiness of the doctor in attending to the patient’s needs. Confidentiality between doctor and patient is a cornerstone of all doctor-patient relationships. Patient information should only be divulged upon the request of the courts or dictated by public-health requirements. Securing and preserving the patient’s health information is a very important obligation, which the doctor has to fulfil at all costs. Lossof thepatient’s informationwill lead to thepatient believing that their carewill becompromisedby theunavailabilityof theirmedical information. The loss of patient information can lead to data breaches, which may have significant legal implications for the offending physician. Gaining the patient’s confidence and maintaining it is a cardinal ethical standard that has to be preserved and guarded jealously. The patient should have the utmost confidence in whatever decision the doctor makes, whether it is a treatment decision or a decision to refer to another colleague for follow-up or advanced treatment. Referral to a colleague should be prompt and not delayed by indecision, inadequate knowledge on the part of the referring physician, or a desire to hold on to the patient for pecuniary benefits. When a patient is referred, a colleague shouldbe chosen that will ensure thebest outcome for thepatient. Adherence to the aboveminimum ethical standards by the attending physician should form the basis of each doctor-patient interaction. This will lead to a most desirable outcome and a truly beneficial and lasting relationship for both doctor and patient. DR DONALD GORDON President Association of General Practitioners of Jamaica Ethics in family practice
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