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Dr. P is becoming increasingly frustrated with patients who come
to her either before or after consulting another health practitioner for
the same ailment. She considers this to be a waste of health resources
as well as counter-productive for the health of the patients. She de-
cides to tell these patients that she will no longer treat them if they
continue to see other practitioners for the same ailment. She intends to
approach her national medical association to lobby the government to
prevent this form of misallocation of healthcare resources.
CASE STUDY #3
Dr. P, a newly appointed anaesthetist in a city hospital, is alarmed
by the behaviour of the senior surgeon in the operating room. The sur-
geon uses out-of date techniques that prolong operations and result in
greater post-operative pain and longer recovery times. Moreover, he
makes frequent crude jokes about the patients that obviously bother
the assisting nurses. As a more junior staff member, Dr. P is reluctant
to criticize the surgeon personally or to report him to higher authori-
ties. However, he feels that he must do something to improve the situ-
ation.
CASE STUDY #4
Dr. P, a general practitioner in a small rural town, is approached
by a contract research organization (C.R.O.) to participate in a clinical
trial of a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for oste-
oarthritis. She is offered a sum of money for each patient that she en-
rols in the trial. The C.R.O. representative assures her that the trial has
received all necessary approvals, including one from an ethics review
committee. Dr. P has never participated in a trial before and is pleased
to have this opportunity, especially with extra money. She accepts
without inquiring further about the scientific or ethical aspects of the
trial.
BACK TO THE CASE STUDY – A
Dr. P is right to be alarmed by the behaviour of the senior surgeon
in the operating room. Not only is he endangering the health of the pa-
tient but he is being disrespectful to both the patient and his col-
leagues. Dr. P has an ethical duty not to ignore this behaviour but to
do something about it. As a first step, he should not indicate any sup-
port for the offensive behaviour, for example, by laughing at the jokes.
If he thinks that discussing the matter with the surgeon might be effec-
tive, he should go ahead and do this. Otherwise, he may have to go di-