Gov't shouldn't influence medical matters
Bill Bumpas - OneNewsNow - 7/8/2010 6:30:00 AMA Christian cancer specialist believes the medical community needs to remain vigilant about keeping the government out of treatment discussions when a patient is nearing the end of life.
A recent Associated Press article reports that an increasing number of Americans are literally being over-treated to death and are spending more time in hospitals in their final days. The article suggests that some are trying last-ditch treatments that often buy only weeks of time and rack up bills.
Oncologist Dr. Al Weir, spokesman for the Christian Medical Association (CMA), contends that healthcare providers should give proper counsel to their patents. That includes outlying the economic risks to the family.
"This all should be voluntary between doctors and patients and should not be run by some government panel that oversees and imposes on doctors the necessity to show patients the information they put together in the back rooms of some law school," Dr. Weir adds.
He reminds medical providers of their mission when it comes to treating those who are facing end-of-life decisions.
"The doctor should not be confused about why he's there. He's not there to save the government's healthcare dollars. He's not there to please a bureaucrat. He's there specifically to give that patient the best chance at having a life that they choose in a very honest and informative way," the CMA spokesman notes.
He concludes that saving healthcare dollars is a discussion the public should have, but it should not creep into private decisions between a doctor and a patient's family.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment