[copied to GP-UK]
Dear Pulse People...
In the latest issue of your august organ you published a letter
from Dr Ann Owen who seemed less than impressed by my attitude
toward patients complaining of feeling "tired all the time".
The original article read:
Medical philosopher, Dr Martin Evans, believes that many doctors
carrying out health promotion are 'paternalistic and interfering'.
Some patients knowingly 'trade off' an aspect of their health
against something they enjoy, like smoking. We should stop telling
them off and allow patients to make 'bad decisions'.
I would be happy to show a little lenience in such matters, as long
as the favour is reciprocated. For example, I'll start showing
heroin addicts more respect as long as I can kick out any patient
who complains of feeling 'tired all the time'. That's an arrangement
I could learn to live with.
My reply:
Dear Dr Owen,
Look! Over there! What's that? No, that thing over there!
Oh, why can't you see it? It's over there!
Look! A point!
Ooohhh! You missed it!
--
Iain Hotchkies MBChB
ambition: polymath
currently: jack of all trades
corollary: master of none
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