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Tempted to treat yourself or family? Think again
To prevent ethical lapses, providers should not treat themselves or family members.
There’s an old saying, “A physician who treats himself has a fool for a patient.” That adage holds true today for a host of reasons, which is why Asante has a policy to prevent the perils of treating oneself or a family member.
“Providers’ personal feelings may cloud their judgment when treating a loved one,” says Andrea TenBrink, Asante’s privacy officer and director of Compliance. “Family members may not feel free to seek second opinions or decline treatment for fear of offending the provider. Children particularly may not feel comfortable refusing care from a family member.”
There are also privacy concerns that must be considered. Much more information is stored on electronic medical records today than the previously used paper charts. Providers could end up accessing information they weren’t authorized to, leading to violations of patient privacy and Asante policy.
Asante has adopted the recommendation by the American Medical Association, which holds that to avoid the potential for ethical conflicts, providers should not treat themselves, their family members or members of their household.
There are two notable exceptions, according to the new policy:
- Emergency situations, if there is no other qualified health care professional reasonably available.
- Immediate care for minor conditions, if no other qualified health care professional is reasonably available and only until the patient finds an alternative provider.
Asante also prohibits providers from prescribing controlled substances to family or household members or for their own use. Asante will not knowingly accept orders or prescriptions from providers ordering services for themselves or family members except as allowed by the new policy.
If you become aware of an incident that violates the new policy, escalate those concerns to your supervisor or the appropriate supervising physician. To learn more, read Asante’s Family and Self-Treatment Policy. If you have questions, comments or concerns, email Asante Compliance.
If you have a question, please contact the author or relevant department directly.
