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EDITORIALS: Leonard Leibovici and Michel Lièvre Medicalisation: peering from inside medicine BMJ 2002; 324: 866 [Full text]

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DOCTORS’ DILEMMA

Shailendra Goswami   (13 April 2002)

DOCTORS’ DILEMMA 13 April 2002
Shailendra Goswami, DNB trainee, Medicine, Lisie Hospital, Ernakulam, Kerala, India. 682018 Send response to journal: Re: DOCTORS’ DILEMMA	The article ‘Medicalisation: peering from inside medicine’ has reiterated the dilemma and suffering of the doctors [1]. It engenders concern for the ‘suffering’ of medical profession under the whims and fancies of the society. Many times doctors have to face situations in which family ‘dumps’ their patients on the hospital for management of ‘death’. Doctors know that patient needs more of family support and care at this stage, rather than medical care. They know there role is very less; still they have to take the responsibility of managing the terminal stage of the patient to make the family members more ‘comfortable’. This happens in every hospital, including the hospital where I am working. Another frequently encountered problem is to handle the family members who are adamant on proving that their ‘patient’ is ‘mad’ or ‘a psychiatry case,’ for ulterior motives. Despite knowing that there is nothing wrong with the patient, doctors are frequently ‘forced’ to admit the patient, perform unnecessary tests, and may be, ‘treat’ the ‘patient’ just to save their (doctor’s) or the hospital’s ‘neck’. It is a pity. If doctors become aggressive with the family members in such a situation, they may face their wrath and violence, and if they do what the family wants, they are harming their patient. What is the solution? Should doctors discuss this more openly and vote their views to reach an unanimous decision? Do doctors need support from government? Should doctors and government join their hands to tackle such a situation? I think -yes. References: 1. Leonard Leibovici, Michel Lièvre: Medicalisation: peering from inside medicine. BMJ 2002; 324:866 (13 April)