Why can't a Doctor treat his/her own family?

Question

Why is it unethical for an M.D. to treat family, loved ones or close friends?

Answer 1

It is not unethical per se, but It is certainly not advisable. Many doctors routinely treat close friends and a smaller number will treat family members.

The potential problem is this: Treating a family member or close friend offers a physician to many opportunities for their feelings to conflict with their professional judgment. An example would be: When do you turn off the life support?

Physicians must be able to maintain a professional perspective to a patients situation above all else. This could be particularly difficult if the patient is a loved one.

Answer 2

What a marvelous question! And what wonderful answers so far. I hope I can do as well. Ethics depend on your belief system as well as the law. Many belief systems exclude illegal acts, yet there are few if any laws about this. I've worked with physicians since I was 19, and I'm 60 now, so let me offer some observations. I think almost every physician I've know has or would treat a family member. I think every one would also say there is a limit to what they would feel comfortable doing. Exactly where that line is drawn is one of the ethical decisions involved, as some others mention. Another is antibiotics and infectious disease. My earliest experiences were with pediatricians. I learned that they must often treat the parent or parents, in a sense, in order to treat the child. Although antibiotics won't cure viral diseases, different doctors handled this differently. Some would prescribe them anyway (this was years ago). Others would prescribe a lot of cough medicines, nose drops and the like. When I asked why, they said it was because people expected to be given something when they go to a doctor. That goes all the way back to prehistory. So they'd prescribe something they knew would not help, in order to please the parent. Others would simply tell them that there was nothing they could take, but they'd be fine in a few days, or something like that. You can see how this situation would be trickier if the parent is your spouse, or other relative. (it's even trickier when that person is also another physician). I've also seen residents intervene on the care of a spouse or dependent when they are senior to another resident providing the care. I'm sure I'd do the same, if I disagreed. Again, this is most noticeable with antibiotic use. In many of these cases I wonder if the physician would act the same if the patient and the patient's family were total strangers. In some cases it seems real unlikely. My life lesson in this area is that doctors (and other health care entities) especially good ones, do their best work when they are able to stay within their normal routine (whatever it is). Deviations tend to lead to problems, such as a patient who demands VIP treatment, or a "fast track". Beyond the simplest issues, I think most people would find it hard not to deviate from their routine when treating a loved one. This can include when to do nothing, when to stop, when to consult, and things like that. There are very few medical issues that can be considered "simple" nowadays. We are paying a terrible price for our overuse of antibiotics in the past. Physicians deserve the highest respect for the responsibility they assume. My heart goes out to those who find themselves treating their own sick child or spouse. You have to pray for God to guide their hand.

Answer 3

It's not unethical to treat family members for routine conditions. We do it all the time, frequently in consultation with a colleague.

Surgery is a different matter, and it's not advisable for someone to operate on a family member. It's still done, though, especially in the plastic surgery community. In anesthesia, we don't anesthetize our close family members. Instead, we find a trusted colleague to refer them to.

What IS illegal is to bill for services rendered to family members. Our contracts with insurers stipulate that we can't do that. Friends are OK, though.

Answer 4

Medical ethics is a class that's taken by every person in medical school, and it introduces then to various aspects of being a doctor. One of which includes treating family members, which can preclude them from thinking and acting objectively.

Answer 5

i am a family doctor and i always prescribe medication to my whole family. The only thing that i hate is that i overanalyze each and every medication (side effects, history of patient, if the medication is good, etc). I prescribe the medicine after a long time (30 minutes) after i have thought of every possible disaster/side effects (if any) that could happen.

Answer 6

It isn't unethical. It's just that objectivity is lost, so it's not a good idea. Also, if you prescribe controlled drugs, there's the appearance that you might be diverting them to personal use.

Answer 7

It is called a conflict of interest.
Its the same reason that police officers do not investigate murders in their own families.
Emotions cloud logic and rational thinking. Logic and rational thinking are important in the medical industry.

Answer 8

A doctor can treat his close members.

Answer 9

I didn't know it was. We have a Doctor in the family that treats family members.

Answer 10

Because they wouldn't be able to be objective in the treatment of someone they cared deeply about.