Doctor Reprimanded for Calling Patient Fat

I read this news story, too, and was curious about it. The story I read did not include enough information for me to form much of an opinion about the case.

It's one thing to discuss a problem honestly with a patient -- but it's another to do so in an abusive and/or offensive way. The first is something all professionals should do: the second is something no professional should do.

llg

I think had it been done in a tactful way (which it doesn't sound like it was!) it would be fine!! Dr.'s do need to tell us when our health is at risk, but do it politely and in a maner that won't offend!

One of are cardiothoracic surgeons had a law suit filed against him because he told a pt she was obese. He was not rude in the least, several nurses heard the conversation(eight bed ICU.) She was post-op CABG and was requesting that family bring in a shake and fries. The MD told her that she would ruin what he had just fix if she did not stop eating junk and that she needed to lose a hundred pounds and start exercising. All this info is given to the pt during the pre-op teaching that is done by the ICU nurses. The lawsuit was dropped but now the MD will only speak to the pt about "excess calorie stores." Several other MDs and nurses followed his lead.

OMIGOD! Now I've heard everything. Just how fat was she I wonder.

Oh well. I gues De Nile IS only a river in Egypt. Can't believe she freaking won !

Z

You might not want to hear a cancer dx either, but that's exactly what this was: a DIAGNOSIS.

For the medical board to even try to get involved is an insult and an outrage to all medical professionals.

I heard a doctor tell a patient, "you keep coming into the hospital because you won't quit drinking and you're too fat." The patient fired him. The doctor was glad because the patient obviously wasn't ready to follow his advice. He obviously was frustrated with the patients continued admission to the hospital with a "fix me, but I won't change a thing about my lifestyle" kind of approach.

"Fat" is such a derogitory word in our society. This could have conjured up images of being taunted in childhood or something.

I don't believe sugar coating, but I believe in being kind. He could have simply said "you're obese, you will continue to have health problems if you remain obese".

The medical establishment, also needs to offer help in weight loss.

Calling obesity "excess calorie stores" because you're afriad of being sued by patients is taking political correctness way too far.

There isn't much information in this article. But I say, let freedom of speech reign. If you don't like your doctor and what he says, find another one, no need to get the medical board and lawyers involved. Calling you fat is not malpractice. It may be honest and rude, but find another doctor if you don't like their bedside manner.

People just can't stand to hear the truth. I uderstand that there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to discuss someone's weight but the article doesn't give any specifics of how the doctor approached the issue. My guess is that the patient just didn't like what she was hearing. To me, that lawsuit ranks right up there with someone sueing Mcdonald's for making them fat.

This has been one of my pet peeves for years. I started in orthopedics and the doctor was too much of a wuss to tell the patient the reason their knees hurt was that they were carrying around 200 extra pounds! And now that I work in an ICU I see so many problems that are initiated or exacerbated by obesity. My very last patient weighed 540 pounds. And she had to use the bedpan all the time. I hope I have a doctor that will tell me the truth when I need it. I don't need political correctness, sugar-coating or babying. I need the truth in order to do the right thing for my health. And I'm going to tell my patients to lose weight!

I do agree that its in the way you present this to a pt. When I went for a health checkup the Dr. was honest and said I needed to watch my weight, and told me how much weight he recommended that I lose, because there can be some long term health risks that can be avoided. Not once did he say fat or talk down to me which made all of the difference. When we're overweight, we know it, just some of us cant always face it and get offended at the mention of it. But isnt that the Drs. job to prevent illness as well as treat it?

Dont know the whole story of this pts situation, but sometimes the pts are right about the Drs. awful bedside manner and other times they are just waiting for a reason to file a lawsuit. Gotta be careful either way.