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It Is Not The Role Of A Doctor To Tell Us How To Live Our Lives
Doctors are being "encouraged" by government policy to lecture patients on their lifestyle choices, to explain to them how much damage alcohol, smoking, the wrong diet, etc. Can cause. I believe this undermines the patient-doctor relationship by infantilising the patient and turning the doctor into a preacher. HL Mencken said "The role of doctors is not to make people virtuous, but to save them from the consequences of their vices. The physician does not preach repentance; he offers absolution"
 Kirsty08  11 Nov 2008 13:38
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It is a fine line. I will certainly hear out a doctor in terms of medical advice however many have the tendency to stray into morality and lifestyle advice that is well beyond their purview. I have had to get rather sharp with a couple of doctors in certain situations. They get very used to being a voice of authority and can start to think that it extends to all areas.
 
 finsch  15 Nov 2008 04:34
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A doctor can offer suggestions for good health but if the patient happens to be stiff necked about it, that becomes the problem of the patient. Recently there has been a tendency of doctors to become more aggressive in dispensing advice along with Rx medications. I think it stems from the establishment of HMOs in which the membership involves bean counters and cost consideration to the insuring HMO.
Think about this and how "single payer medical insurance," or socialized medicine would be
 
 Brighteyes  13 Nov 2008 03:43
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Just wait until there is national health care....
 
 Bugman  12 Nov 2008 10:30
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Unless you WANT to live in a fascist country.
 
 ur_wrong  12 Nov 2008 01:22
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 You don't have to listen nor will they force you to.
by  verum
 13 Nov 2008 01:20
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I don't think a Doctor should tell people how to live their life, but they should be pointing out what the problems might be, especially if it is effecting the patients health.

Why bother going if you don't want to be told what is wrong with you.
If all you want is a sticky plaster go to the pharmacist they won't tell you. Jack! ***t..:-))
 
 keepmindok  11 Nov 2008 18:23
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I agree that doctors are supposed to heal and maybe educate about how to get and stay well. It is not, however, their role to judge anybody's life style or why they live that way. Here in the U.S. We have insurance companies that sort of hire doctor's as independent contractors that make the insurance company the doctor's boss and not the patient. I believe that often the doctor becomes more concered with helping the insurance co. And not the patient. The insurance company is concerned about money and not so much the patient and so the doctor starts to do the same. Definitely a conflict of interest.
 
 kkcoyne  11 Nov 2008 15:23
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Your life control by yourself, you don't ask doctor for opinion how you live on the world.
 
 mebius  19 Nov 2008 04:40
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Well, it's the doctor's role to tell, yes.
They do know what they're talking about.
And it's not like it's a bad thing that they're telling you what to do, they're telling you what you need to do if you want to reach so and so point in your life.
I'm sure they don't crack the whip, strap you down and force you upon it.
You can live how you want to live, it's those who are afraid of death whom want to live longer and thus pay a doctor for the advice.

And now-a-days people are that afraid of dying. And the doctor lecturing isn't going to be that bad, they tell you what you can do and how you can do it.

It's you who chooses to carry out the action.
Actions speak louder than words, any day.


Unless them words are in CAPS.
Then that boy be angry.
(Sorry, I know. Random.)
 
 Genkaku  13 Nov 2008 03:19
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 If you have a liver disease caused by drinking too much alcohol and "the doctors says the only way treatment will work is if you stop drinking alcohol" then that is fine.

What I am against is the needless lecturing, treating us like children who are to stupid to look after ourselves
by  Kirsty08
 13 Nov 2008 14:51
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Many people ony listen to a doctor, unfortunately. If I am going to a doctor and he is telling me, go ahead, drink yourself to death, I would wonder if I chose the right doctor. A doctor is supposed to coach us on what we are doing wrong. It is up to us to decide if we will change that
 
 cindyb  12 Nov 2008 23:19
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 "If I am going to a doctor and he is telling me, go ahead, drink yourself to death, I would wonder if I chose the right doctor".

1. You have just proved my point, people know that drinking excessively is bad for you so they don't need anyway telling them not to. If you're doctor told you to drink you would question it because you know what damage it can do.

2. Juts because I don't believe doctor's should lecture about drinking does not mean I am advocating they tell us all to drink ourselves to death.

"A doctor is supposed to coach us on what we are doing wrong."

A doctor is supposed to make us better when we are ill. They are not priests, parents, psychiatrists, etc.
by  Kirsty08
 13 Nov 2008 14:55
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Well they are the ones who have studied for years about the human body so i think that personally seeing as they know more about how you are to live in order to survive and live happily then yeah they do have a right to tell us what we should be doing. You also have a right not to listen though
 
 mutani  12 Nov 2008 12:46
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 "i think that personally seeing as they know more about how you are to live in order to survive and live happily then yeah they do have a right to tell us what we should be doing"

I think we all know how to live in order to survive, we're not children and should not be treated like children. Also, doctors don't know how to make us happy, only we know that.
by  Kirsty08
 12 Nov 2008 14:10
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Its good that doctors enlighten us and lecture us on health issues, people may learn something and change their lifestyle. Those who already know or don’t know, but don't want to live that way, can simply not take their advice.
 
 verum  11 Nov 2008 19:38
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 We already have preachers, we go to the doctors when we're ill and they are there to make us better, not to tell us how much alcohol to drink each week. It is a waste of our time and their time.
by  Kirsty08
 12 Nov 2008 14:08
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It's a fine line, but basically everything your doctor tells you is health related and therefore justifiable to say. How much time in the average week do you spend with your doctor recieving this information? It's not that much. Just put up with it. Doctors have expert opinions and should be seen that way. If you come to me and for financial advice and I tell you to cut back on your coffee spending is that "going to far"? Am I attacking you in anyway? I'm giving you information that you should seriously consider when making your future decisions.
 
 Specter87  11 Nov 2008 15:29
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 I'm not bothered by inconveniences, going to the doctors itself is an an inconvenience. My issue with it, is the fact that it will change the way we view doctors. We'll stop seeing them as people to go to when we are ill and start seeing them as people to go to when we have social problems and personal problems, such as drinking too much.
by  Kirsty08
 11 Nov 2008 17:11
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