Another topic in podcast form from the short series, "Ethics in Action."
Sal Martingano, D.C. is a Sherman graduate and a great friend of the college. This is a fairly long, but insightful look at the "big picture" of healthcare in America. I hope you will take the time to read the article and digest the content. These are issues that we will be dealing with for generations.
We are all accustomed to stories about DCs who practice in small towns, or rural areas, or the ever popular suburbs. We don't seem to think a lot about chiropractors in the land of freeways, beaches and movie stars. Here's a nice reflection by Dr. Michael Dorausch on the ups and downs of practing in LA.
We tend to focus on ethical issues in our profession, sometimes taking a broader view of ethics in other professions, and society in general. This website is the Ethics Resource Center, a non- profit organization focusing on ethics in the broader sense of corporate and governmental issues. Take a look at the current issue of their magazine, and see the "Top 10 Ethics Stories of the Year".
Professionals quickly learn that there is no shortage of people who would like to have your house, swimming pool, bank account and new Hummer. They are prepared to sue you in order to have access to your assets and make them their own. If it seems that we spend an inordinate amount of time conniving to keep our assets, it's true. We prefer to keep what we have, thank you. This article gives one slant on keeping what you've got.
No, this isn't a reference to the Mel Gibson movie of a couple of years ago. Instead, it's a good article by Angelica Redleaf, D.C.,in the form of a fairy tale, addressing issues that every health care provider must deal with(unless you're a woman, and already know the answer).
Angelica Redleaf, DC, has been in practice in Providence, R.I., since 1978. She is the author of Behind Closed Doors: Gender, Sexuality & Touch in the Doctor/Patient Relationship (1998)
I have mentioned in class that I occasionally appear as an expert witness in malpractice cases involving chiropractors. This is one use that courts make of experts. Another, far more common use of an expert comes when you are asked (or ordered) to testify on behalf of a patient, concerning injuries and disability issues. As a factual witness you may state what the patient told you, what you found when you examined the patient, and how your course of chiropractic care objectively improved the patient's status. Very often you will then be asked to give your opinion on the patient's condition, and predict how they will fare in the future. Only experts may testify about their opinions, so your status immediately changes from factual witness to expert witness. Here is a thorough article dealing with expert testimony.
Dating and the young professional is always a hot topic for discussion. A boundary guideline that creates a lot of interest is the general prohibition on doctors dating patients. It is with good reason that these guidelines ware created and exist, however, it seems that young professionals are always looking for loopholes and exceptions. This is an article by an attorney on this particular boundary issue.