Politics shouldn’t be discussed in the exam room
April 21, 2010
in Health policy and politics
Jack Cassell is either Florida’s most hated, or loved, urologist, depending on your point of view.
He famously taped a sign outside his office, advising President Obama supporters to seek care elsewhere.
Politics shouldnt be discussed in the exam room
Slate wrote a piece saying from a civil rights perspective, Dr. Cassell is probably in the clear: “While the law bars physicians from excluding patients on the basis of traditionally protected classes like race, religion, national origin, and disability, most jurisdictions permit political discrimination.”
The stunt happened at a doctor’s office, not the emergency department, where doctors are compelled by law to treat everyone that comes in.
But should politics ever be introduced in the exam room?
The answer, of course, is no. Health care and reform is already a contentious issue, not only among the America public, but between doctors as well. As you can see from a recent post by the American Medical Association, there is a lot of physician anger stemming from the new law.
I’d like to think that most doctors will give patients the best care possible, despite their political persuasion.
But, as you can see from this case, that may not always happen. And I’m afraid, it may get worse, when you consider how contentious health reform is, and how politically divided our country has become.
kevinmd.com |
