Monday, December 6, 2010

A third party in the relationship

The New York Times Well blog raises an interesting question about the relationship between a physician and a patient: Do physicians need a chaperon when performing invasive procedures?

The presence of a chaperon during invasive procedures is intended to protect both the physician and the patient. But It raises a question of how this could potentially impact the relationship. If either or both the physician and patient feel a chaperon is necessary, does that imply something about the level of trust in the relationship? Or does the presence of a chaperon simply indicate caution and not a lack of trust?

How do you think this would affect physician-patient communication? Will the communication somehow be different if both the doctor and the patient know that a third party has to come in and watch the procedure? How should physicians and patients discuss the issue of chaperons?