In the Literature
Dec 1999
Articles and books on bioethics continue to expand in both number and the range of topics discussed. Between 1989 and 1998, more than 4000 articles alone were published in MEDLINE-cited journals. Some of the major topics examined are the patient-physician relationship, end-of-life care, reproductive medicine, genetics, and the allocation of scarce medical resources. From these publications, we will be selecting a handful of articles and chapters, some of which reflect issues of perennial concern to physicians, others reflect more recent quandries resulting from advances in biomedical technology.
A new article or book chapter will be featured every month, accompanied by questions intended to guide readers along the path of ethical reasoning and to promote discussion.
December Article
Schneck SA. Doctoring doctors and their families. JAMA. 1998;280(23):2039-2042.
Questions for Discussion
It is alleged that physicians make the worst patients.
- If this is true, what accounts for this phenomenon?
- Does the physician's behavior suggest a blind spot?
- The author offers 10 suggestions for resolving this problem. Are they satisfactory? Would you suggest additional or alternative measures?
