Thursday, March 25, 2004

Can't Get No Satisfaction: A reader of the New England Journal of Medicine responded to an article on physician dissatisfaction (requires subscription) with this observation:

Dr. Zuger mentions that 'the recent interest in identifying and preventing medical errors has magnified feelings of insecurity.' This is actually the tip of an iceberg: the beating we regularly take from within the medical establishment. Regarding issues such as racial disparities in care, sexual disparities, noncompliance with medications, or adherence to guidelines, our 'colleagues' in academe tell us we are racists, sexists, ignoramuses who never read a journal, or lousy communicators. Meanwhile, the 'noncompliant patient' is an evil construct born of paternalism. In short, everything that is not ideal is directly our fault, and this in an age when we have less control than ever over patients' behavior.

He should stop reading newspapers.

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