More frequent use of robotic-assisted surgeries means we need to ask more questions about care quality and equity, informed consent, and conflicts of interest.
AMA J Ethics. 2023;25(8):E605-608. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2023.605.
Dr Matthew C. Bobel joins Ethics Talk to discuss his article, coauthored with Dr Robert K. Cleary: “How Should Risk Be Communicated to Patients When Developing Resident Surgeon Robotic Skills?”
Web-based physician rating sites are part of a multi-decade cultural shift in the relationship between physicians, patients, and society. But a system in which “patient’s orders” reign is just as lopsided as one that puts “doctor’s orders” in the driver’s seat.
Measuring outcomes alone is not the answer. There should be a way to reward the doctor for educating a patient about lifestyle modifications and then documenting that the care provided followed patient preferences.
Reporting of post-CABG mortality rates has resulted in a decrease in in-hospital mortality, and non-outcome-based measures of care quality show promise of improving patient satisfaction.
AMA J Ethics. 2015;17(7):647-650. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2015.17.7.stas2-1507.
The belief persists that patient satisfaction surveys are more responsive to friendliness and expensive facilities than clinician interaction, but there is evidence to the contrary.
When a patient requests an unfamiliar treatment, the physician should not hesitate to research it before giving a categorical reply about its safety or efficacy.
Dr Brady J. Heward joins Ethics Talk to discuss his article, coauthored with Drs Amy M. Yule and Peter R. Jackson: “How Should Harm Reduction Strategies Differ for Adolescents and Adults?”