Re: Medical Profession Accountability

["Wendell Rahorst" <rahorst@home.com>]

I have a different take on Dr. Weiner's statement then Mr. Bohan. Dr. Weiner
stated:

"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 interpret this statement to mean that if a patients asks for information
it should be provided to the patient in a manner that informs and educates.
This does not mean the patient has to be educated in physics and radiation
protection.  It can consist of a one or two page handout that describes the
process and lists additional references that can be reviewed for more
information and where those references can be obtained. The medical care
giver should not respond to a request for information by just trying to
allay the patients fears.  This is equivalent to saying "Trust me, I'm the
medical care giver and I know best." This is the type of situation that
leads to law suits and the anti nuclear attitude that we hear so much about
on this list.

Dr. Weiner 's  experiences reflected in the following quote rings very true
with my experiences also.:

"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 believe this occurs not only because " most patients are so fearful of
anything radioactive that she downplays it" but also because many of the
medical care givers in this area do not fully understand the processes they
are performing.  This is reflected in Dr. Weiner message by "She didn't tell
me the CEDE --she probably didn't know" and Mr. Bohan's message by the
statement:

" I train medical residents and physicians frequently,  when I ask them what
radiation science training they received in medical school, they say "NOT
MUCH"!  Yet, once they receive their medical license, they're authorized to
prescribe x-rays in most states with no further training requirements.  I've
only been trying to get med. schools to include rad. science in the
curriculum for 15 years."

I believe Mr Bohan's statement that:

"but I believe it is a little much that we expect rad. and nuc. med techs to
makeup for all the failings of our educational system and all the
misinformation about radiation that is shoveled out to the general public
daily by our government officials, the media, activist groups, etc."

is true but I also believe we should hold physicians, department managers,
and process managers responsible for properly informing their patients even
if it involves educating the patient and telling them some items that might
even make them uncomfortable.

Wendell Rahorst, CIH
President
Quan'Fit, L.L.C.
E-mail rahorst@quanfit.com
Webpage http://www.quanfit.com


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