This college conservative is making a political point, but his statement also contains an important implied advice for doctors:
If one speaks to a doctor, he or she will tell you that one of the biggest costs of medicine is malpractice insurance. There must be restrictions on malpractice lawsuits so that only the must extreme cases receive settlements. There are risks with every procedure, and everyone should be aware of that. When I got a colonoscopy, I was told that there is a small chance that they puncture my colon. That was a risk I agreed to take. If it happens, I am not owed a cash settlement. I chose to take the risk; therefore, it is my responsibility.
But it is possible that doctors might be tempted not to really say too much about risks because they don’t want their patients to be scared. This article from Medical Economics, “Be careful what you promise,” points out the understandable tempation doctors face:
“This won’t hurt a bit.” We first heard that when we were very young and our pediatrician was about to give us a shot. Many of us have had a slight, but lingering, distrust of physicians ever since. Yet, it’s an example of how the natural inclination of doctors to comfort patients and relieve their anxiety might do medical professionals more harm than good.
It makes sense. Doctors don’t want patients to suffer anxiety for a lot of reasons both personal and professional. But anything that builds up unreasonable expectations is risky.
Keep in mind that only two things are required to generate a lawsuit. The first is a patient with unrealistic expectations and the second is a less-than-optimal outcome. Physicians can’t always prevent undesirable outcomes, even when they do everything right. However, they can do a great deal to create realistic expectations.
The article is well worth reading.
