A doctor has NO ethical or professional responsibility to offer forms of treatment which he does not believe to be more efficacious than those which he has determine are effective and prudent. If one were to follow your implication, then a doctor would necessarily have to offer or discuss with patients theories of Eastern medicine, native American medicine, alternative medicine, holistic medicine and that which is promoted on medicine-show infomercials.
I will stack up my ethics, my professionalism and my long-time, busy, hospital-based practice, professionally staffed with real Board Certified podiatric surgeons, against your part-time solo practice, web-site sales and recreational vehicle-based traveling ESWT show any day.
Folks come to us for OUR evaluation of their problems and OUR determination of techniques based on OUR expertise in solving them. The patient's duty is in the proper selection of a professional in whom he/she can place his trust. My patient care decisions are not up for vote by patients who might attempt to sift through professional literature which they cannot understand or appreciate, and the Internet is really no place to receive that education.
When I take a case, I assume the responsibly for that patient's care, and though the patient may decide not to take my advice, he/she can go elsewhere rather than my compromising my best judgment for what is appropriate in their care. Though I do offer choices when appropriate, I do not offer a smörgåsbord of possible techniques simply because they exist. I am into results, not simply fees or numbers, and that has served my practice quite well for 3 decades. I do not intend to, nor should I fix that which is not broken.
It is wisely said that one should neither be the first nor the last to employ a new technology, and frankly, Dr. Zuckerman, you have not demonstrated to me that you or your treatment decisions are the ones to emulate. |
