Confidentiality for Doctors, too?

[Guest guest]

Arising from Another Thread springs an issue I have been concerned about

for some time, which is confidentiality for Doctors.

Any of us on this group can either choose :

- to join the group - or not to

- to post or to lurk

- to let people know their health status - or not to

- to post under a pseudonym - or not to

But one thing that I have always been uncomfortable about is naming

hospitals and doctors. You will note that I have never publicly said

where I had my ablations done, or by whom, nor who my Cardio is / was /

may be in future. Several people know these details, who have contacted

me off the board, and I have had much valued help from those people.

Our doctors would never dream of breaking patient confidentiality - so

what is the position with respect to what goes on in the Consulting Room

or Operating Theatre from the Doctors' point of view?

This is a difficult one, since of course it is through knowing names and

reputations that we gain valuable information - I made an off-board

contact which helped me enormously and to which I probably owe little

short of my life, to do with which hospital, which doctor and which

technique. But I would never have got this information publicly on the

board, and on-board, names and reputations can be mentioned without

linking to personal experiences. No-one would (normally) say on the

board that Dr Xyzzy is the worst and you should never go to him

(apologies if there is really a Dr Xyzzy)

Even if your experience with a doctor is excellent and you feel like

recommending them, there may come a time where a difference of opinion

might arise. Even having named a " good " doctor could inhibit one from

mentioning negative experience. I have never named my first Cardio and

was therefore able to post that I changed because he tried to prescribe

me amiodarone before disopyramide was tried (a cardinal error for vagal

AF, in my humble and

non-medical-but-eventually-agreed-with-2nd-cardio-and-ultimately-proven-right-op\

inion!).

The information that was removed from the board was/is totally crucial.

It would not have had to be removed had names/places not been mentioned.

I don't personally think that much is lost by not naming names other

than what I would call " reputationally " - and any frank exchange of

views is actually much better carried on off the board anyway.

Just my 6d / 5c's worth

Best of health to all,

Vicky

" Rules are for the guidance of the Wise,

and blind observance of Fools " - Wilde

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