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Date: | Mon, 11 Nov 1996 11:42:07 -0600 |
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I encourage written feedback to physicians (and any other health
professional) who behave inappropriately. I recommend that the couple
write a letter to the physician that states what happened, then states
their objections to the behavior. If they want to pose a question (eg what
are your references to support your statement that everything will be
messed up....), that is appropriate. The letter should end with a request
for an action - an apology, corrective action (eg you should read the
following articles, books, etc and make the following change in your
behavior), and request a reply in writing to specific questions or
requests. Do not discuss money in the letter. Keep a copy.
If the doctor does not reply in a reasonable time, call the county medical
society and ask how to complain about a physician's behavior. There should
be a board of ethics. If the physician is employed (by an HMO, clinic, or
medical school), the step before the county medical society may be to the
physician's boss.
I recommend that we all start writing letters telling doctors specifically
what we don't like about their behavior. They rarely get feedback, and
even more rarely get a specific request for change. Often the only
feedback they do get is a lawsuit, and the behaviors that don't cause
high-dollar damages are ignored.
I have recently embarked on the path I described, and it's getting results.
If the couple in the post wants to email me privately, I would be happy to
help them.
Julie Graves Moy, M.D., M.P.H. [log in to unmask]
http://www.realtime.net/~jgmoy
512-397-9521 office
P.O. Box 4768 512-342-1624 home
Austin, Texas 78765 512-342-1628 fax
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