Opinion

Judge doctors on qualifications and sensitivity -- not race or religion

LETTER — Posted May 1, 2006

Print  |   Email  |   Respond  |   Reprints  |   Like Facebook  |   Share Twitter  |   Tweet Linkedin

Regarding "Web sites let patients find like-minded physicians" (Article, March 27): Do we similarly promote sites for finding white doctors? Where do mixed-race doctors fit in? What of denominations and doctrinal differences within each religion? Does one restart his practice if his religious views change?

Is it not better to promote cultural awareness, sensitivity, and respect toward every patient among all doctors? I can give the same level of care and compassion to the devout or the agnostic, and I need to be cognizant of the idiosyncrasies of race and heritage, whether it be hypertension, thalassemia, or God's will. I see patients of other cultures, and the customs (especially toward treatment of women) vary widely.

Professional qualifications, including cultural/ethnic/racial/religious sensitivity are important: The vessel within which they are contained should not be so. If society is so insular that one cannot find important facts about a doctor from neighbors, co-workers, or church members, perhaps a site could be developed which lists numerous salient facts about each physician's beliefs, ethnicity, sexual preferences, attitudes toward same-sex couples, etc., as well as professional qualifications -- on the order of a dating service -- and match patients with compatible doctors within a specified geographical area.

I believe we should discourage such attempts at polarization, enlisting the aid of other personnel where necessary for broadening our cultural, ethnic, or racial perspectives.

James A. Holder, MD, Mitchell, Ind.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/05/01/edlt0501.htm.

Back to top


ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISE HERE


Featured
Read story

Confronting bias against obese patients

Medical educators are starting to raise awareness about how weight-related stigma can impair patient-physician communication and the treatment of obesity. Read story


Read story

Goodbye

American Medical News is ceasing publication after 55 years of serving physicians by keeping them informed of their rapidly changing profession. Read story


Read story

Policing medical practice employees after work

Doctors can try to regulate staff actions outside the office, but they must watch what they try to stamp out and how they do it. Read story


Read story

Diabetes prevention: Set on a course for lifestyle change

The YMCA's evidence-based program is helping prediabetic patients eat right, get active and lose weight. Read story


Read story

Medicaid's muddled preventive care picture

The health system reform law promises no-cost coverage of a lengthy list of screenings and other prevention services, but some beneficiaries still might miss out. Read story


Read story

How to get tax breaks for your medical practice

Federal, state and local governments offer doctors incentives because practices are recognized as economic engines. But physicians must know how and where to find them. Read story


Read story

Advance pay ACOs: A down payment on Medicare's future

Accountable care organizations that pay doctors up-front bring practice improvements, but it's unclear yet if program actuaries will see a return on investment. Read story


Read story

Physician liability: Your team, your legal risk

When health care team members drop the ball, it's often doctors who end up in court. How can physicians improve such care and avoid risks? Read story

  • Stay informed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • LinkedIn