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IN TOUCH™ Newsletter
Vol. 11, No. 3
March 2007

Many Doctors Stay Quiet On Controversial Subjects

The February 8, 2007 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reports on a study that found 14% of doctors said it’s OK to not give patients information on a controversial treatment they disapprove of.

The topics mentioned included birth control, abortion and sedating dying patients. 29% of the doctors also said they felt no obligation to tell patients where they can go to get that care.

Lead author Dr. Farr Curlin of the University of Chicago said, “If physicians’ ideas translate into their practices, then 14 percent of patients – more than 40 million Americans – may be cared for by physicians who do not believe they are obligated to disclose information about medically available treatments they consider objectionable.”

“In addition, 29 percent of patients – or nearly 100 million Americans – may be cared for by physicians who do not believe they have an obligation to refer the patient to another provider for such treatments.”