Med. Procedure Disclosure

[Quang Le <quangle@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>]

Dr. Weiner wrote:

<<Here is some feedback to your question: Last year I had a bone scan and I
asked the technician what she was injecting me with. She responded: "Oh, it's
just a little bit of radioactivity and it won't hurt you." I pointed out
that I
was quite knowledgeable and not scared and might use the information as a
problem in the class I teach at UNM, so she told me: 30 mCi of Tc-99. She went
on to say that most patients are so fearful of anything radioactive that she
downplays it just as she initially did with me. She didn't tell me the CEDE --
she probably didn't know -- and I can certainly figure it out. I do think
there
should be a requirement to inform the patient fully, no matter how "scared"
they might be, and the physician should do this so that the patient can do a
proper comparative risk assessment. I do also know from painful personal
experience that the information to do a proper assessment has to be pried out
of many physicians and one has to know exactly the right question to ask. I
don't think all this requires million-dollar settlements, but something should
be done to make the medical profession more accountable in this respect.
Clearly only my own opinion. Ruth F. Weiner, Ph. D>>

I agree 100%. In fact, if the medical community starts doing this, it may help
reduce the public's fear of radiation tremendously. I think the majority of
patients would still accept  the procedure even after being told, and
explained
about the procedure involving rad. material, because the procedure BENEFITS
them. It sort of puts things in perspective, i.e,  "what we are going to do
may
carry a tiny bit of risk but it could help you tremendously". The same thing
takes place with rad. workers. Many of these are not necessarily more
knowledgeable about radiation than the general public when they start. But
they
are willing to accept the risk in exchange for a paycheck.


_____________________________________________________________________ 
Quang Le 
SLAC/OHP 
(650) 926-2610 
<quangle@slac.stanford.edu> 
Note: The above is my own opinion only!  
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