To Whom Does a Doctor Owe His Primary Concern?

Attorneys have a fairly clear duty. An attorney has a legal duty to be the best advocate his client can have. He (or she) has an actual legal duty not only to provide the client with the best professional advice they can give, but also to be their actual advocate and to protect their interests.

So, how about doctors. I have heard people say that a doctor has to be careful NOT to appear to be too much an advocate of their patient(s). But, what is a doctor's duty to their patient?

I've been a doctor in Texas since 1989. I have had very nice and kind words from patients, other doctors, and lawyers during those years. My most cherished rememberances are those times when patients have told me or someone else who told me, that I was the first doctor who had treated them with respect, who took their problems seriously, or in some other way, gave them good care.

Years ago, I had a patient in Beaumont Texas who had terminal cancer. The patient had various other providers, including a family doctor, oncologist, orthopaedist, pain management doctor, and others. When he died, the family only sent out ONE thank you note to any doctor who treated him. I was the doctor that received that thank you note. The family thanked me for showing care and concern for him, and that my treatment gave him some relief, and the caring environment of our office, and our occasional jokes, uplifted his spirits.

If you are a doctor, and you cannot or will not put your patient number one, you are in the wrong profession. I see nothing wrong in being an advocate for a patient, either in getting them the best care possible, or in substantiating the degree or nature of their injuries or problems when it is appropriate.

If you, as a doctor, are NOT an advocate for your patient, then what the heck is your purpose, and if you are not their healthcare advocate, then who the heck is supposed to be?

I am a Chiropractic doctor, and I am from a family of doctors. My uncle was a well known MD (Psychiatrist), my cousin is an MD , my great grandfather was an MD, and my grandfather was a Veterinarian. And, father back, my family on the Native American side, were medicine men.

I am proud to be a doctor. I think there is no more noble profession, than to try to ease suffering and try to help nature in its quest to restore the patient to health.

I have never been afraid to tell a patient I would not take the case if I either thought I was not the doctor for them, or thought they were not being completely truthful about the nature or degree of their problems.

In WORK COMP these days, the role of treating doctor has become infinitely harder due to insurance carriers denying patient's injuries, denying payment for care, refusing to authorize either diagnostic procedures or treatment.

But, someone has to fight for the right of patients to get the care they need.

I'm proud to be the one my patients place their faith in.

~Doc