Residencies that have the most religious docs

[costar]

Residencies that have the most religious docs?

[justletmein]

this is pointless

[jock2doc]

this is pointless

 

Haha well put. +1

[tooty]

Why this particular forum

[costar]

Ever witness:

issues regarding end of life (refusal to withdraw care), talking about religion on palliative service?

denied prescription for OCP?

refusal to refer for abortion services?

Avoiding to take call on Sunday/Saturday?

 

to name a few...

[rmorelan]

Ever witness:

issues regarding end of life (refusal to withdraw care), talking about religion on palliative service?

denied prescription for OCP?

refusal to refer for abortion services?

Avoiding to take call on Sunday/Saturday?

 

to name a few...

 

Do you mean the doctor themselves? Religious discussions come up quite often but not in the context of blocking a patients desires - more to simply understand them.

 

Plus any doc that overtly blocked an appropriate care option on religious grounds would have some serious trouble at some point. Our job is not to project our wishes on the patient.

[jock2doc]

Our job is not to project our wishes on the patient.

 

An excellent choice of words.

[costar]

True, but what service you offer affects patient accessibility no?

[rmorelan]

True, but what service you offer affects patient accessibility no?

 

The policy of the college is you are not supposed to restrict services unless they are available easily elsewhere as I understand it. If are the doctor caring for someone you also cannot restrict options based on your beliefs (in our example of "pulling the plug" for instance - you cannot refuse if it is possible you can transfer care to someone else but if that isn't possible then too bad you have to do your duty). It isn't about you, it is about the patient's choice. Doing otherwise is unprofessional.

[costar]

Are you willing to refuse physician assisted suicide and refuse referral?

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/06/15/bc-assisted-suicide-ruling.html

[rmorelan]

Are you willing to refuse physician assisted suicide and refuse referral?

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/06/15/bc-assisted-suicide-ruling.html

 

ha - jump right to the difficult ones That is good actually.

 

I swore an oath to not break the law when I became a doctor so as long as physician assisted suicide is illegal then it is not an allowed option under our system.

 

Should that law change, as it very may, then I am obligated to present it as an option, follow the system in place, and continue to serve as the patient's advocate and respect their wishes within the system we have.

 

Personally I think there are a lot of challenges incorporating PSA into our current systems. Patients even now worry that doctors are somehow waiting in the wings to remove patients (this often comes up with organ donation but that isn't the only time). With this now it becomes actually worse. Patients have to believe, because we actually are, always out for their best care. Plus I know palliative care funding and research go way down when PSA comes on board - which removes options from other people. Messy. At best I think a separate system should be involved if it is done - some other countries do this - so considerable safeguards should be used.

 

If for some reason I was unable to within my moral code and within what ever system was in place do a particular medical treatment (not sure what that would even be) then if possible I could potentially refer but must continue to self as an unbiased physician until such a transfer could occur. I could not unreasonably delay treatment for such a move either. Under no circumstances could I do both a) refuse transfer and refuse to perform a recognized medical treatment that is generally considered appropriate by the profession as a whole. It would be very rare to refuse transfer at patient request under any circumstances actually.

[mikeowsoft]

why are you asking in the diagnostics forum? Is it because people here have the least and most objective view on clinical practice? I'd suggest asking some family docs.

 

I disagree with the first few posts, its a valid question he/she is asking that deserves addressing. People that are religiously inclined, particularly those who believe salvation is achieved by works may choose to speak about religion on the palliative service. From my experience this may be just what patients need or totally rub patients the wrong way.

It is important to consider this theologically as well because some physician's motivation is to work in a manner that pleases GOD and others are to care for patients based on altruistic impetus while fully obeying medical law.

[mikeowsoft]

Therefore, I am also personally interested to see how this poll looks ultimately.

[Mourning Cloak]

Are you willing to refuse physician assisted suicide and refuse referral?

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/06/15/bc-assisted-suicide-ruling.html

 

Non-illegality is only the first step. Just because it isn't illegal for a physician to river dance down the halls singing Danny Boy it doesn't mean that this is a medical service that patients can expect.

 

The rub is that no one knows (yet) whose responsibility it will be to provide this service (assuming it becomes something that patients can expect). For example, a patient can't make me perform an abortion - because I'm (will be) an anesthesiologist! It just isn't in my scope of competence.

 

So until someone decides whose scope of competence this falls into, I figure you could refuse on the grounds that you haven't been trained and aren't competent to make the physical / psychiatric assessment (presumably) necessary prior to providing this option.

 

I sure hope that there's going to be some sort of assessment, anyways . . . .

[Satsuma]

The policy of the college is you are not supposed to restrict services unless they are available easily elsewhere as I understand it. If are the doctor caring for someone you also cannot restrict options based on your beliefs (in our example of "pulling the plug" for instance - you cannot refuse if it is possible you can transfer care to someone else but if that isn't possible then too bad you have to do your duty). It isn't about you, it is about the patient's choice. Doing otherwise is unprofessional.

 

There are many Canadians denied access to care all the time.

A woman cannot get an abortion in PEI. They must leave the island to another province. That isn't exactly "easily" available alternative care. This is just one example.

[rmorelan]

There are many Canadians denied access to care all the time.

A woman cannot get an abortion in PEI. They must leave the island to another province. That isn't exactly "easily" available alternative care. This is just one example.

 

and that is in my opinion wrong but I can certainly see everyone's position on the matter. Abortion is one of those hot button topics obviously - one newer tactic of the pro-life/anti-abortion movement is to directly target doctors not to perform those services. Adds an interesting wrinkle into this - because the practise is not outlawed prochoice movements aren't exactly extremely active, and yet pro-life/anti-abortive groups are quite active. If something is not illegal but still impossible to get then effectively there is no difference.

 

Having to go to another province also violates the accessibility condition of the Canadian Health act in my opinion. (I have heard arguments for comprehensiveness as well)

 

Interesting debates on campus all the time on this actually

[futureGP]

you're missing psychiatry

 

 

-____-

 

 

how can you miss psychiatry?!??!!

[costar]

haha sorry I didn't have enough options. In light of what is happening in quebec, I again, think this is a very appropriate discussion for us to have.

I also apologize for starting this discussion here, I meant to click another forum ( can one of the moderators move it?).

If you voted, please share with us an experience that made you vote such a way.

I myself have encountered refusal of birth control because it disrupted implantation by a family doctor that really coloured my encounter.

[futureGP]

haha sorry I didn't have enough options. In light of what is happening in quebec, I again, think this is a very appropriate discussion for us to have.

I also apologize for starting this discussion here, I meant to click another forum ( can one of the moderators move it?).

If you voted, please share with us an experience that made you vote such a way.

I myself have encountered refusal of birth control because it disrupted implantation by a family doctor that really coloured my encounter.

 

i would vote psychiatry, the field itself has many connection to spiritual health

[Orcamute]

Staying on-topic, I would assume Family Medicine to be the highest.

 

I find that a lot of people who need religion, tend to not so much "need religion" but need the social environment. As a Family Doc you are much closer to your patients and their lives than lets say..a Rad would be. For that reason, I picked FD.