I didn’t hesitate to treat either of them, but I can clearly appreciate how some would be hesitant. The resources on a plane are very limited compared to even the most basic clinic or ER. The patient’s can be seriously ill. The possibility for a “poor outcome” is relatively high. My understanding is, that as a physician, I’m held to a higher standard than a layperson. I’m not sure what the higher standard is though.

I’m sure there have been lawsuits regarding the care given at accident scenes or on airplanes. I’m not entirely sure if my current malpractice would even cover me in such a case, as I’m practicing medicine outside of my usual location and scope of service.

Getting involved in a lawsuit without my med mal covering would be a true disaster.

The fact is, as a trained ER doc, my malpractice ONLY applied to facilities I am licensed in, and only to patients who are registered to be there. IE, I am only covered if it is a patient seen in the normal course of my duties, at the facility where I normally work.

So, having thought about this for years, I WILL NOT stop and render assistance, be it on an airplane, on a boat, in a car, or just walking across the street. I agree with the post above that protecting myself and my family is of paramount importance, especially in our litigious times. Sorry, but the fact is that your life, health and welfare means less to me that that of me and mine. and if using my specialized skills in less than ideal circumstances could possibly result in a lawsuit, then forget it.

Do I feel bad about this, yes, but I look at is this way; you as the american public brought it on yourself when you started to sue for everything.

the exceptions, when I am flying overseas I will help, but only non-americans. this is because the lawsuit mentality does not really apply to anyone except for thos brought up in our culture.

Doctor? No, I’m just a professional healthcare consultant. Sorry.

I can tell from all the nasty comments about greedy doctors not to rely on the gratitude of strangers to protect me from getting sued. I may have a professional/moral obligation but my obligation to protect my family and my own health is more important to me.

Your analogy doesn’t really fit. Many people might drive a person to the hospital. That doesn’t make them ambulance drivers or paramedics. But if you flag down an ambulance and request that the paramedic or EMT take you to the hospital, that really is not the same thing as asking a layman who might use a private vehicle. The ambulance is a specialized piece of rescue equipment and its crew and driver, a trained professional team. Whether you want to admit it or not, when you flag them down, you are expecting something different than you would from a taxi.

The same is true if you say “is there a doctor in the house?” versus “can anyone help me, anyone, . . .Bueller?.” That really isn’t too hard to understand. When you ask if there is a doctor, you do so with expectations of getting help from someone who is a professional, not just anyone.

CPR is meant to be administered by anyone trained to do it. Knowing CPR and administering it does not make you a professional, doctor, nurse, paramedic or EMT. Doing CPR doesn’t imply professional help was available, even though it may have been, even if CPR was all even a physician might be able to do, given a situation where there were no other resources. So no, someone giving CPR shouldn’t expect to be paid, if that is all they were doing and were not bringing any professional knowledge to the situation.

Paynehertz, you wrote:”It is sad there are some doctors who apparently can’t be expected to do anything even in an emergency situation unless there is something in it for them, but this highlights the essential nature of our medical system which is geared 100 percent to the pursuit of profit and the self-interest of physicians and rarely concerns itself with what is moral or correct.”

I don’t see anywhere where anyone wrote that they would withhold help unless they were paid. You seem to be the only person saying that, obviously it seems for the purpose of taking a poke at doctors, something you seem to like to do. And where is your proof of medicine being “100% in the pursuit of profit?” Easy slur, cranks say that kind of stuff, but just plain untrue.

If you think doctors should do it for free, become a doctor and do it for free.

Until then, respect physicians – and others who have invested a ridiculous amount of time and energy into our educations and professional lives – by understanding the tremendous sacrifices, many of which are monetary.