Another example where the stick is being used to change physician behavior:
Here’s another thing for doctors to worry about: An anti-smoking group is suggesting that smokers who develop smoking-related illnesses — and their families — might be able to sue docs who didn’t give smokers the right advice about quitting.In a letter to state health commissioners, the group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) suggested that bringing suits against physicians could be an effective way to save lives.
Related posts:
- The drug industry and anti-smoking guidelines
- Can doctors be sued for not getting their patients to quit smoking?
- Ban smoking and watch the rate of heart attacks drop
- Why do anti-smoking ads backfire?
- Bribing patients to follow doctor’s orders
- Neuropathic pain education; Paul Krugman wins Nobel; Vasectomy pain; Paying to stop smoking; Health care isn’t free
- Should movies receive an R-rating for having smoking scenes?
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{ 5 comments }
Kevin, congratulations once again at being able to ferret out THE stupidest regulatory idea of the day!
These morons think that suing me because I haven’t spent inordinate amounts of time (196 page guideline!!) telling a patient what any sensate human with a pulse should know in the 21st century (that smoking is BAD for you) is going to keep people from smoking??
All that’s going to accomplish is lining the pockets of greedy trial lawyers and greedy plaintiffs. And it’s going to make experienced, caring head & neck surgeons like me inch that much closer to early retirement.
Again, it hasn’t happened. Why do you insist on berating the patient population for lawsuits that have never been filed? If you are indeed “caring”, then you’ll realize how foolish it is to translate a hypothetical scenario into a real cause to react negatively toward the people who depend on your expertise and have done you no wrong.
Perhaps the defense attornny’s of repeat offenders should be sued if they don’t advise them not to commit more crimes!
Why does this group insist on berating physicians for “missing” cancers that haven’t happened yet and which are ENTIRELY the fault of the patient??
Oh and I knew there’d be at least one bleeding heart who’d go on and on about the definition of caring. Caring means you are invested in the health of your patient, to the extent that the patient himself is invested. Beyond that lies martyrdom. Thanks for taking the bait.
Should I also sue my ophthalmologist for neglecting to tell me not to stare at the sun?
Doofuses. Or is it “doofi?”
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